Archive for the ‘Czech Republic’ Category

A friend of mine sent me a link today to 50 Strange Buildings of the World. Every one of these went onto my long, long list of “things to see immediately.” While I have yet to witness all of them in person I thought I would share one of my favorite buildings in one of my favorite cities in the world. Today we will venture outside of the United States to Prague, a breathtaking old-world city in the heart of the Czech Republic.

The Nationale-Nederlanden building aka the Dancing House aka Tancící dum aka Fred and Ginger proves that just because something is a built for function doesn’t mean it can’t also be art!
Standing tall, overlooking the Vltava River, the building was designed beginning in 1992 by Yugoslavian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunic and architect Frank Gehry (designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles; Experience Music Project in Seattle; and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, amongst many others).
The curvy, modern glass and concrete building was unveiled in 1996 and has been dubbed “Fred and Ginger” as it resembles the two icons — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — embracing “cheek to cheek” in dance. The unusual shape and deconstructivist architecture of Dancing House is not only unique but also in sharp contract to all the surrounding architecture of Prague. In fact, it is just a short bridge walk away from the 9th century Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) which is the epitome of gothic and Romanesque design. Set amongst other Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, the non-traditional design caused much public debate at the time it was built.
Luckily they didn’t call the whole thing off because nowadays they just face the music and dance.
Site: Dancing House (Tancící dum)
Location: Rašínovo nábreží 80, 120 00 Praha 2 (Prague), Czech Republic
Cost: Free to see
Hours: Always visible
Date:July 7, 2006