Dancing House, Prague
See the rest of the list of Unusual Building Designs here.
The Dancing House is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague, Czech Republic. It was designed by Croatian architect Vlado Milunic in collaboration with Frank Gehry to resemble two people dancing. When it was completed in 1996, it caused controversy for the way its deconstructivist form purposefully failed to integrate with its Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau surroundings.
The building was commissioned by the then-President Vaclav Havel to represent the recent liberation of Czechoslovakia from the collapsing Soviet Union, a moment of national transition and celebration.
The inspirations for the design were the dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Astaire is represented by a concrete cylinder with pop-out windows topped with a bird’s nest-shaped mesh sculpture. Rogers is represented by a billowing glass structure that curves away from Astaire with spindly concrete legs fixed to the pavement.
The building currently hosts conference rooms, a restaurant and a bar on the top two floors. Today it is regarded as a classic example of the postmodernist architecture of the late-20th century.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- A House for Essex.
- Building of the week series.
- Cabin Straumsnes, Norway.
- Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico.
- Dali Theatre and Museum.
- Deconstructivism.
- Gentle Genius.
- Habitat 67.
- Kunsthaus Graz.
- Little Crooked House, Poland.
- Luxor Las Vegas.
- MY DVA showroom.
- Socialist realism in a post-war Czechoslovak new town.
- St. Basil's Cathedral.
- Ray and Maria Stata Center.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- The Big Basket.
- The Gherkin.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Watts Towers.
[edit] External references
- Prague - Dancing House
Featured articles and news
A case study and a warning to would-be developers
Creating four dwellings for people to come home to... after half a century of doing this job, why, oh why, is it so difficult?
Reform of the fire engineering profession
Fire Engineers Advisory Panel: Authoritative Statement, reactions and next steps.
Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster
A complex project of cultural significance from full decant to EMI, opportunities and a potential a way forward.
Apprenticeships and the responsibility we share
Perspectives from the CIOB President as National Apprentice Week comes to a close.
The first line of defence against rain, wind and snow.
Building Safety recap January, 2026
What we missed at the end of last year, and at the start of this...
National Apprenticeship Week 2026, 9-15 Feb
Shining a light on the positive impacts for businesses, their apprentices and the wider economy alike.
Applications and benefits of acoustic flooring
From commercial to retail.
From solid to sprung and ribbed to raised.
Strengthening industry collaboration in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Institute of Construction and The Chartered Institute of Building sign Memorandum of Understanding.
A detailed description from the experts at Cornish Lime.
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”