Prague Landmarks #10 - Dancing House

In a city that’s full of architectural and cultural anomalies, the ‘Dancing House’ (Tančící dům) still comes as a bit of a surprise when you first encounter it. As you walk along Rašínovo nábřeží on the east bank of the Vltava, you can’t help being struck by the peculiar building that stands on the intersection with Jiráskův most, especially as it is so different from the Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings which surround it.

Approaching Dancing House along Rašínovo nábřeží

Dancing House, originally named Fred and Ginger by the co-architect Frank Gehry, is officially the Nationale-Nederlanden building. The Dutch insurance company (now ING Bank) sponsored the project to build on the site which had been bombed in 1945 and had been derelict until it was cleared in 1960. The primary designer and architect was Vlado Milunić who worked with Gehry, and was a friend of Václav Havel, the former Czechoslovakian president, whose family owned the neighbouring site. The designs were completed in 1992 and the building completed in 1996.

Dancing House from Jiráskův most

Milunić’s two-part ‘neo-Baroque’ or ‘deconstructivist’ design concept was intended to signify the transition of Czechoslovakia from communist dictatorship to parliamentary democracy. 99 concrete panels, each of a different shape and size, fit together to provide an illusion of two dancers whirling around each other. The left tower is primarily glass and is the ‘Ginger’ partner which bends and clings to the concrete Fred tower.Although the same height as the surrounding buildings, Dancing House has two additional floors, but the use of mis-aligned windows hides this fact.The building is capped by a twisted metal framework - the dancer’s hair.

Fred's 'hair'

The rooftop terrace

The top floor of the building is a (not inexpensive) restaurant, and if you buy a drink at the bar you are able to go onto the rooftop terrace which affords some great views over the city.

Great views from the terrace

Most of the remaining space is taken up by offices but there is also a highly sought after 21 room hotel. There is also an art gallery with frequent exhibitions.

Dancing House viewed from Janáčkovo nábřeží

Despite the controversy created when the building was first constructed, Dancing House is now recognised as an integral part of the contemporary landscape of Prague. And as with so many places in the city, the more you visit it, the more interesting the building becomes. Don’t forget to visit at night as well as during the day as the illuminations add a completely different perspective to the site!

Dancing House at night

Prague Moments #14 - The Butterfly House

Despite all the wonderful things to see around the city of Prague, at this time of year you sometimes need a break from the cold and find an indoor venue.

Arguably the warmest new attraction in town is the Papilonia Butterfly House which opened last summer. Located on the lowest level of Hamleys' toy shop on Na Příkopě (around the corner from Wenceslas Square), the permanent attraction covers 150m² and its design was inspired by the temple of Angkor Vat in Kampuchea.

The environmental controls maintain a temperature of 26ºC and 80% humidity and the attraction is home to 600 butterflies from 40 different countries, including Mexico, Australia, and other South American and South East Asian locations. The intention is to vary the species during the year so there will be different species in the spring compared to the autumn.

             

When you go through the hermetically sealed double doors, it’s like hitting a brick wall of heat and humidity and reminded me of leaving the airport building in Hong Kong. Butterflies with wingspans of up to 20cm are apparently happily flying around, seemingly oblivious to the human sightseers. Butterflies will come and perch on you if you're lucky - they are attracted to bright colours like reds and yellows.

Because of the humidity cameras may get a bit steamed up, especially coming in from the cold. My new iPhone X had no problems, but my Nikon DSLR couldn't cope so it went back in the bag. You can get up really close to the 'models' which continue to pose even when you're just a few centimetres away.

Children are welcome, but I would prefer parents to keep hold of them. There are butterflies on the floor as well as everywhere else, and it's easy to tread on them if you're not careful. You also need to be careful leaving to ensure no butterflies escape.

             

This was a wonderful experience and at the time of writing cost 150CZK for adults. The collection is open every day from 10:00am to 20:00pm (8 o'clock).