Dancing House

Building photo

The Dancing House or Fred and Ginger is the nickname given to an office building in downtown Prague, Czech Republic. It was built in 1997 by Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with American architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot next to a building owned by Czech playwright and former president Václav Havel, whose strong support for avant-garde architecture was instrumental in getting the controversial design approved and built. Known in Czech as Tančící dům ('the Dancing House') - hence the 'Fred and Ginger' nickname, after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - the house vaguely resembles a pair of dancers and stands out among the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings that Prague is famous for, without clashing with them. There is a highly-rated French restaurant on the roof with magnificent views, and the building's tenants include several multinational firms.

External link

Dancing House Prague by Frank Gehry