tančící dům

i walked far today, to the previously unexplored nové město. another perspective and another mood of prague. here is tančící dům ("dancing building"), another important example of modern architecture in the city. it was designed by frank gehry and completed construction in 1992. all of the houses around it are from the 19th century, as were the houses that used to be on the corner where the dancing building now stands. the corner houses were destroyed on february 2nd, 1945 by an ally bomb that was meant to hit dresden. it stayed wrecked until 1948, and afterwards many proposals were made to do something about reconstructing the buildings at this busy intersection.
the reason for the way the left side of the building curves inward in the middle is that during the planning stages, neighbors living in the house next door complained that they would lose their view of prague castle. they had to be accommodated.

at first the building was difficult for czechs to get used to. i think it is very beautiful and what i like most about it is that despite its modern edge, it is respectful to and embraces and echoes the richness of shape and detail of its 19th century neighbors.
i even accidentally found the house that inspired gehry to give the windows on his building the effect of "popping out," which creates the illusion of an additional layer on the façade. it is located one block behind and to the right of the dancing building, on the corner of gorazdova and trojanova streets.