Top 10 facts about the Prague Dancing House


 

The Dancing House in Prague, image by Lenka Sevcikova sourced from Pixabay

You have seen the building many times during your vacation in Prague and it has always caught your eye. The interesting shapes, the confusing elements, and the way it stands out among the rest of the buildings. Now you want to learn more about it – The Dancing House.

Jiráskovo_náměstí,_Tatra_ – By Honza Groh (Jagro) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Prague is home to a variety of special architecture comprising both the historical sections and the modern parts of town. The Old Town, with the historical buildings and churches, juxtaposes with the modern and artistically-unique establishments that are spread throughout the city. Although the city is known for the famous castle, Charles Bridge, Astronomical Clock, and numerous other historical and cultural buildings, the Prague Dancing House is another institution that is widely popular among tourists and locals today. The interesting architecture makes the building appear sideways, crumbling, and under some sort of strain, making people even more curious about the history behind the creation, the influence of the architect, and the interesting methods that were used to create such a unique building. Here we have the top 10 facts about the world-renowned Prague Dancing House.

 

1) The history behind the house

Praha Unique Communist Gobelin of the Stalin Years – By Txllxt TxllxT [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

The Dancing House is set on a plot of extreme historical significance. It was the location of a house that was demolished by a U.S. bombing in 1945, during the end of World War II, when the Allies bombed the city. During the Communist reign from 1948-1949, it remained decrepit and vacant. The plot lay vacant until 1960 when the area was finally cleared. The plot next door was owned by the family of Vaclav Havel, who had been there for almost his entire life. In 1986, still in the Communist era, a respected architect by the name of Vlado Milunic created an idea for an extensive project at the scene. He discussed this idea with his neighbour, a dissident of Vaclav Havel.

During the Velvet Revolution, the non-violent transition of power from the Communist regime in 1989, Havel became popular and a leader of the country. He was elected president of Czechoslovakia, and continued the development of the ideas of what to do with the vacant site. Eventually, he chose to have the famed architect survey the site, and originally hoped for it to become a cultural center. Nowadays, we know this was not the architect’s idea, due to the building that stands today.

Nationale-Nederlanden, a Dutch insurance company, agreed to sponsor the building of a house on the talked-about site. The bank chose Milunic as the designer and asked him to partner with Frank Gehry, a well-known and respected Canadian-American architect. The funding for the project was extensive, due to the bank’s prowess and financial state at the current time. The two architects met in 1992 in Geneva and began to brainstorm and edit the original idea, into what would become the merging of static and dynamic themes – creating the interesting and multi-directional building we see today. 

2) The style of the building is considered deconstructivist

Dancing House – By Kevin Boniface – User: (WT-shared) Kboniface at wts wikivoyage [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Deconstructivism is a post-modern architecture that started to pop-up in the 1980s. The main characteristic of this theme is fragmentation, lacking any harmony or continuity in the design. The theme also edits and transforms the surface skin and employs non-rectilinear shapes, which appear to distort angles and create a strange sense of architecture. ‘Controlled chaos’ is another characteristic of this idea, which elaborates on the juxtapositioned angles and curves of the building. The ‘dancing’ shape is created by almost 100 concrete panels, which are all different shape and size. 

In the middle of the building, there are two main parts that comprise the structure. The first part is a glass tower supported by curved pillars, and the second has uneven mouldings and crooked windows, adding to the chaotic theme. The windows have protruding frames, creating a 3-D effect to shift perspective. 

3) Eva Jiřičná designed most of the interior

Eva_Jiřičná_(2019) – By Jindřich Nosek (NoJin) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Jiřičná was born in southeastern Moravia in the Czech Republic and is a well-known architect and interior designer. She studied engineering and architecture at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts and later moved to London in 1968. She spent 8 years working on the construction of the Brighton Marina and then formed her own practice at the end of the 1980s. She began to gain recognition in the mid ‘80s and began designing retail shops, forming businesses, and creating connections. 

This British architect designed much of the interior of the Dancing House. All 9 floors overground and 2 floors underground were laid-out and created by Jiřičná, the brainchild behind the asymmetric rooms and shapes. The commercial areas, in the lobby and the first floor, are asymmetric as well. The interior also contains six floors of office spaces, a ninth-floor restaurant, and small, zig-zagging hallways. 

4) The building became infamous for its unique and controversial design

Dancing House – By Christine Zenino from Chicago, US [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

The non-traditional design was a topic of conversation at the time of being built due to uniqueness. The house stands out among the historical buildings which are famous for their Baroque and Art Nouveau characteristics. The combination of deconstructivism and modernism are quite different from the Gothic styles that so many of the buildings and churches employed.

5) The 7th-floor now contains an upscale and luxury restaurant

Praha,_Tančící_dům,_Ginger_&_Fred_restaurant – By Palickap [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

The Ginger & Fred Restaurant is an upscale French eatery on the 7th floor of the Dancing Building. The view from the top is out of this world. The high-up floor provides unique and amazing views of the Castle, Old Town, and Lesser Town. head here in the summer and you can sit outside on the terrace and catch a panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas. The bar on the top floor of the building provides incredible drinks and views of the red-roofed skyline. 

6) The Dancing House hosts exhibitions in the gallery

Young Lady on a Balcony Gerrit Dou and Studio 1664 National Gallery Prague – By Gerrit Dou [Public domain]

The aim of the gallery is to discover young artists and help them gain recognition from the general public and experts in the field. The gallery promotes local artists and gives them a space to display their work in their own community. The public can see what exhibitions are currently on display by visiting the Dancing House Gallery website.

The gallery also wants to connect the general public with the art world by providing educational opportunities. Tours, lectures, and open discussions are all available to anyone who wants to learn more about a specific exhibition, art style, or art history. The website also provides information about past exhibitions that have been on display at the gallery, letting the public learn more about some pieces they may have seen in person.

7) The Dancing House also contains a luxury hotel for those special weekends

Dancing House – By Przemek Pietrak [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

The Dancing House Hotel provides great views of the Vltava, features a restaurant, bar, and an intricately-designed atmosphere. Each room is air-conditioned, features a flat-screen TV, coffee machine, free WiFi, private bathroom, and complimentary toiletries. You can make use of the 24-hour front desk service to ask any important questions and enjoy the breakfast at the hotel. 

With a convenient location of less than a mile from Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square, the ability to stay in this unique accommodation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we would highly recommend. 

8) The Dancing House won the 1996 Design of the Year

Flying Down to rio Astaire and Rogers – By .Merian C. Cooper, Lou Brock [Public domain]

In 1996, American Time magazine awarded this unique building the Design of the year. Nicknamed the Ginger and Fred after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the interestingly-formed structure is supposed to be reminiscent of a dancing couple. The uniqueness of the architecture and the history behind the creation influenced American Time to provide this building with this prestigious award. 

9) The interesting outline of the building  is featured on Czech currency

Dancing House 2 – By Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford and Largs, United Kingdom [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

The general shape of The Dancing House was placed on the 2,000 Czech koruna coin that was issued by the national bank. The coin is gold and circular and raised on both sides. The coin weighs 6.22 grams, is 20mm in diameter, 1.55mm in thickness, and is worth 2,000 Kc. 

The coin has been in circulation since 2005 and is a non-circulating coin. The currency is a Koruna, which has been the medium since 1993. Vladimir Oppl was the engraver of the coin. On one side, it says ‘DESET STOLETÍ ARCHITEKTURY, 2000 Kč, ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA,’ and the other side ‘SOUČASNOST·TANČÍCÍ DŮM V PRAZE, 2005’ is engraved. 

10) The Dancing House also features a rooftop bar along with the restaurant

Jorge Láscar from Australia [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

GLASS Bar is an establishment on the top floor of Dancing House, complete with a rooftop terrace overlooking the Prague Castle and National Theatre. The drinks are beautifully-made, and the ambience provides an upscale and luxurious vibe for special occasions or parties. There are various events that also happen here, which you can check out on their website. 

The bar serves the traditional drinks of wine and beer, as well as a variety of spirits, and speciality cocktails like a Mai Tai or Black Russian. Non-alcoholic drinks, protein shakes, and other hot drinks are available for those who would rather have a daytime refreshment or for children. 

You can easily attend one of the bar events by clicking ‘Events’ on their website, and seeing what’s on next. They usually have events for certain holidays and music occasions, like St. Patrick’s Day or No Name band tour. 

The architecturally-stunning Dancing House has an interesting history that matches its unique outward appearance

The Dancing House is an architecturally-unique building which attracts the eyes of thousands of tourists that visit this beautiful city. Along with the Prague Castle, beautiful churches, traditional restaurants, and endless pubs, this artistic building is a famous and popular tourist attraction for all who visit the country’s capital. 

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