Visiting the Dancing House
The Dancing House is a landmark in Prague, notable for its unique architectural design and the story it tells about the city as it transitioned away from Soviet communism in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution. The vision for a symbolic building on this site came from the Czech president at the time, Václav Havel. The lot had been left in ruins by American bombing raids during World War II and remained vacant for nearly 50 years.
A symbol of freedom
The Dancing House captures the sense of liberty felt by the Czech people at the end of communism in Eastern Europe. The initial architect, Vlado Milunić, commissioned by Václav Havel, designed a structure to reflect the societal shift happening at the time. The project was originally intended to house a cultural and social center to represent the national values of the era.
The plot was eventually purchased by the Dutch banking group ING in 1992 for office space. While the original spirit of the project was maintained, the corporation required the team to partner with an architect of international standing.
An architectural work by Frank Gehry
This led Frank Gehry, the acclaimed American-Canadian deconstructivist architect, to join the project in the 1990s. He designed two contrasting structures that echo the history of the Czech Republic while also evoking, in the architect's view, the famous American dance duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
On one side, a straight concrete building complements the surrounding Prague architecture. Its facade, detailed with windows and curved lines, adds a touch of whimsy. To the left, a second, undulating tower seems to lean against its partner, both caught in the momentum of a fast-paced dance step.
The Dancing House, by architect Frank Gehry, is an iconic contemporary building in Prague. Just a few hundred meters from the city center, it sits right on the edge of the Vltava River. Its wavy shape might evoke (with a lot of imagination) the image of a couple dancing. You will find an art gallery, a restaurant, and a panoramic rooftop terrace inside. It is nice, but not exactly incredible compared to other modern works in the city.