Dancing House
Encyclopedia
The Dancing House or Dancing Building or Ginger & Fred is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden
building in downtown Prague
, Czech Republic
at Rašínovo nábřeží 80, 120 00 Praha 2. It was designed by Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić
in co-operation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry
on a vacant riverfront plot (where the previous building had been destroyed during the Bombing of Prague in 1945). The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.
The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time. Czech president
Václav Havel
, who lived for decades next to the site, had supported it, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.
Originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire
and Ginger Rogers
– the house resembles a pair of dancers) the house stands out among the Baroque
, Gothic
and Art Nouveau
buildings for which Prague is famous. Others have nicknamed it "Drunk House".
On the roof is a French restaurant with views of the city. The building's other tenants include several multinational firms.
Nationale Nederlanden
Nationale-Nederlanden is one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. The company was formed in a merger in 1962 between the Assurantie Maatschappij tegen Brandschade De Nederlanden van 1845 and the Nationale Levensverzekerings Bank...
building in downtown Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
at Rašínovo nábřeží 80, 120 00 Praha 2. It was designed by Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić
Vlado Milunic
Vlado Milunić is a Czech architect of Croatian origin living in Prague. He was teaching at the Czech Technical University in Prague....
in co-operation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
on a vacant riverfront plot (where the previous building had been destroyed during the Bombing of Prague in 1945). The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.
President of the Czech Republic
The President of the Czech Republic is the head of state of the Czech Republic. Unlike his counterparts in Austria and Hungary, who are generally considered figureheads, the Czech President has a considerable role in political affairs...
Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, who lived for decades next to the site, had supported it, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.
Originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
and Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
– the house resembles a pair of dancers) the house stands out among the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
buildings for which Prague is famous. Others have nicknamed it "Drunk House".
On the roof is a French restaurant with views of the city. The building's other tenants include several multinational firms.