Dancing House, Prague
See the rest of the list of Unusual Building Designs here.
The Dancing House is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague, Czech Republic. It was designed by Croatian architect Vlado Milunic in collaboration with Frank Gehry to resemble two people dancing. When it was completed in 1996, it caused controversy for the way its deconstructivist form purposefully failed to integrate with its Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau surroundings.
The building was commissioned by the then-President Vaclav Havel to represent the recent liberation of Czechoslovakia from the collapsing Soviet Union, a moment of national transition and celebration.
The inspirations for the design were the dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Astaire is represented by a concrete cylinder with pop-out windows topped with a bird’s nest-shaped mesh sculpture. Rogers is represented by a billowing glass structure that curves away from Astaire with spindly concrete legs fixed to the pavement.
The building currently hosts conference rooms, a restaurant and a bar on the top two floors. Today it is regarded as a classic example of the postmodernist architecture of the late-20th century.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- A House for Essex.
- Building of the week series.
- Cabin Straumsnes, Norway.
- Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico.
- Dali Theatre and Museum.
- Deconstructivism.
- Gentle Genius.
- Habitat 67.
- Kunsthaus Graz.
- Little Crooked House, Poland.
- Luxor Las Vegas.
- MY DVA showroom.
- Socialist realism in a post-war Czechoslovak new town.
- St. Basil's Cathedral.
- Ray and Maria Stata Center.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- The Big Basket.
- The Gherkin.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Watts Towers.
[edit] External references
- Prague - Dancing House
Featured articles and news
Designing for neurodiversity: driving change for the better
Accessible inclusive design translated into reality.
RIBA detailed response to Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report
Briefing notes following its initial 4 September response.
Approved Document B: Fire Safety from March
Current and future changes with historical documentation.
A New Year, a new look for BSRIA
As phase 1 of the BSRIA Living Laboratory is completed.
A must-attend event for the architecture industry.
Caroline Gumble to step down as CIOB CEO in 2025
After transformative tenure take on a leadership role within the engineering sector.
RIDDOR and the provisional statistics for 2023 / 2024
Work related deaths; over 50 percent from constructuon and 50 percent recorded as fall from height.
Solar PV company fined for health and safety failure
Work at height not properly planned and failure to take suitable steps to prevent a fall.
The term value when assessing the viability of developments
Consultation on the compulsory purchase process, compensation reforms and potential removal of hope value.
Trees are part of the history of how places have developed.
The increasing costs of repair and remediation
Highlighted by regulator of social housing, as acceleration plan continues.
Free topic guide on mould in buildings
The new TG 26/2024 published by BSRIA.
Greater control for LAs over private rental selective licensing
A brief explanation of changes with the NRLA response.
Practice costs for architectural technologists
Salary standards and working out what you’re worth.
The Health and Safety Executive at 50
And over 200 years of Operational Safety and Health.
Thermal imaging surveys a brief intro
Thermal Imaging of Buildings; a pocket guide BG 72/2017.