Dancing House is located in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. It was designed by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić and completed in 1996. Dancing House was a radical addition at the time. Its unusual design makes a stark contrast compared to the neighboring buildings which were done in Art Nouveau, Baroque, and Gothic styles.
Case danzanti by Dino Quinzani is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Design Details
Made in the deconstructivist style, Dancing House contains 99 concrete support panels which create its fluid shape. Milunić’s concept was to have 2 parts, one static the other dynamic, which symbolize Czechoslovakia’s transformation from a Communist regime to a parliamentary democracy. Václav Havel, who was president at the time was a strong supporter of the project, despite the controversy due to its unusual design. His hope was that the building would spark a new cultural center in that area.
Despite the controversy during its construction, Dancing House now appears on a gold coin issued by the Czech National Bank. It is part of a series of coins called “Ten Centuries of Architecture.”
Frank Gehry is a world renowned architect, known for his unique style. His buildings can be found around the globe. In 2010 Vanity Fair called him “the most important architect of our age.”
Dancing house windows by Mounirzok is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
