In Prague's Dancing House, there is an exhibition about the history of this building for its 30th anniversary

dancing

Prague - An exhibition in two underground floors of Prague's Dancing House showcases the story and history of the building and the site on which it stands. From this Wednesday, April 22, until Sunday, October 18, people will be able to see an unusually large model at a scale of 1:18, technical drawings, and even a discussion about this iconic building by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry in period press. The Dancing House, which was initiated by Václav Havel, opened on June 20, 1996. Today, the creators presented the exhibition with texts by writer Petr Stančík to journalists.

The Dancing House first began as a project by architect Milunić after the Velvet Revolution. With the idea for the exhibition prepared by curator Jana Sommerová in collaboration with PSN and the Vize 97 foundation of Dagmar and Václav Havel, Havel wished for a house with a café on the roof, a large bookstore, and a gallery to be built on a plot affected by an allied bombing in February 1945.

According to the exhibition, Milunić originally contemplated a single tower, but at the request of investor, the insurance company Nationale Nederlanden, he invited the famous American architect Frank Gehry to the project. This resulted in a design for a building with two towers featuring wavy shapes, reminiscent of the swing dance couple Ginger and Fred.

The first impulse for this came from Milunić's drawing from 1990. "Gehry was a global superstar, but he always acknowledged co-authorship with Milunić," said architect David Tichý today, who participated in the project as Milunić's student. According to his daughter Rita, Milunić was completely immersed in the project, spending less time at home. Tichý described Milunić as a great democrat who spoke to students as equals.

In Gehry's team, the idea emerged to model curves and surfaces using a computer, a three-dimensional program for designing airplanes, ships, locomotives, and consumer goods. The final model of the building at the riverfront corner, with a unique view of Petřín and Prague Castle, was created using a medical spatial scanner.

The investor acquired the land in 1991, and the plot had been undeveloped since the allied bombing of Prague in February 1945. Construction began in 1994, and the Dancing House received occupancy approval in 1996, and that was on the third attempt. Havel wished for the building to set a benchmark for other investors and architects in Prague.

The project was substantively discussed in the media and among heritage circles in the first half of the 90s, with both proponents and opponents. According to Josef Pleskot, no other building since has matched the Dancing House in Prague. "The political and social situation was very conducive back then; now I see it would be harder than it was then," Pleskot said.

As late as 1996, the American magazine Time rated it as the best in the design category. Since 2013, the Dancing House has been owned by PSN. It is open to the public, with restaurants on the upper floors, and it also houses offices.