In the very center of Prague, there is an unusual building, which differs from the others in the style of architecture and resembles a dancing couple. It is called so - "the dancing house", sometimes "drunken house", less often - "Ginger and Fred".
The history of this building is amazing. During the war, during the bombing, the building was completely destroyed, and the place was empty for about 50 years, but then the Czech President Vaclav Havel intervened and decided to build something unusual.
For him, this place was something sacred, since the neighboring house had previously belonged to the president's family, and was built by his grandfather even before the revolution.
In search of those who will help bring ideas to life, we settled on the Czech architect Vlada Milunic.
However, the insurance company demanded the participation of a famous Western architect in the project, and, in the end, the duo was complemented by the famous Canadian-American deconstructivist architect, prestigious award winner Frank Gary.
The project, of course, was supervised by the Czech President himself, and the inhabitants at first accepted the idea of an unusual building without much enthusiasm. After all, it was a quarter in the city center with expensive apartments in Prague, and around the building in the Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque styles, which are the national pride of Czechs.
In our time, this unusual house has become the pride of Prague, is of interest to tourists and is included in the excursion programs. And then - the architects were instructed to create something extraordinary. And the architects had an idea - to show allegorically the break of Czech society with the totalitarian past, its desire for radical changes.
In America then the very famous duet of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced, delighting audiences around the world. It was decided to embody their dance in the concept of the building, and to name it that way - "Ginger and Fred". However, the people, without further ado, simply began to call it the "dancing" or "drunken" house.
The house itself seems to consist of two parts - male and female. Visually, one of the parts, straight and "normal", resembles a man's figure, and the second, curved and expanding downward, resembles a woman's. The two figures seem to have joined in a dance, leaning towards each other. According to Chinese philosophy, the feminine always wins over the masculine, forcing him to change, and giving birth to a new one.
Now in the "Dancing House" there are offices of famous companies, and on the roof there is a French restaurant, decorated in the form of a fancy structure.
As at the dawn of its creation, the "drunken house" leaves no one indifferent - both supporters of the unusual building and its opponents, who are convinced that it spoils the view of the National Theater and Prague Castle, are still crossing spears.
