Under The Feet Of The Dancing House - Prague, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 50° 04.533 E 014° 24.854
33U E 458085 N 5547195
What is The Dancing House standing on?
Waymark Code: WM18AF2
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 06/28/2023
Views: 5
In the Czech Republic, we have a proverb that says: "the perpetrator returns to the scene of the crime", which is applicable in this case as well. Once before, we stood in front of the Dancing House (
visit link) , observing its curves and folds, admiring its asymmetry and the absence of straight lines or right angles. Amidst that overall view, I forgot to point out one exterior detail that corresponds with the overall design of the building. I'm referring to the area in front of the entrance, where a set of supporting pillars is visible. These pillars contribute to the dynamic appearance of the building and emphasize its asymmetrical structure.
"The Dancing House (Czech: Tancici dum) or Fred and Ginger is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague, Czech Republic, at Rasinovo nabrezi (Rasin's riverbank). It was designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunic in co-operation with the renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot. The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.
The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time because the house stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous and in the opinion of some it does not accord well with these architectural styles. The then Czech president, Vaclav Havel, who lived for decades next to the site, had avidly supported this project, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.
Gehry originally named the house as Fred and Ginger (after the famous dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - the house resembles a pair of dancers) but this nickname is now very rarely used; moreover, Gehry himself was later "afraid to import American Hollywood kitsch to Prague", so refused his own idea."
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