Imagine stepping inside a
flying saucer. Now imagine living in one! In 1968, in light of the postwar boost in technology and space exploration,
Finnish designer Matti Suuronen designed the Futuro House. Originally meant to be a modular ski-cabin that could be assembled and disassembled in rough terrain, the round home became an iconic piece of
futuristic design. This particular space-age Home has had quite the tune-up, and it recently landed in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
The Futuro prefab stands 10 feet high, is 26 feet in diameter, and comes complete with an airplane hatch entrance. Suuronen chose a round design not only for its strength, but also for its ability to feel spacious while keeping material use to a minimum. The walls are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester plastic, a new lightweight material that made the home both easily transportable and well-insulated. The interior houses up to 8 adults and includes a living room, kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, and bed chairs.
Mobile living seemed like the new possibility for the future. People could take their moveable home wherever they went, and live like modern nomads. However the oil crisis in 1972, production of the Futuro home was shut down as plastic prices nearly tripled. About 100 models were built and only half are estimated to survive today. Though tracking down the private owners of these space houses may prove a bit difficult, one Futuro home is readily available for rent in Wisconsin!
Back in 1973 I spent the summer parking cars at an amusement park named ‘Gaslight Village’ in Lake George, NY USA. All summer we’d shelter under this ‘flying saucer’ which sat in the corner of the parking lot. It’s funny to me now how I never gave it a second thought. Years later I saw a picture in an architecture blog.. it was a Futuro – and in perfect shape too! A few years later it disappeared. I wish I knew where it went. These are so cool!
The most famous example might be the one used as the VIP room for a strip club in Tampa, Florida called 2001 space odyssey
http://2001nude.com/
I remember seeing one of these in New Zealand in the early 70′s. We used to pass it on the way to the beach and I always wished I could see inside, and then one day it was open and we got to check it out. As a child I thought it was pretty special.
Hi! Thank you for mentioning my Pod for rent in Wisconsin
We just love renting it out to people all over the US and the world. We actually had a renter from Munich a couple years ago that stayed for a couple weeks. He flew into Chicago and drove up for his “out of the world stay” (I know, cheesy but I am from Wisconsin so what do you expect 
).
Great article by the way…
To ansewr the question from Dr. Nagy. No, they do not still produce. There were about 50 made by the Futuro corp in Finland and about 50 licensed to be made in the US. Approximate cost… I saw one go at auction at Christie’s in Paris for over 140,000 Euros and I saw another in the US that was “gutted” with nothing inside but the shell for $50,000 USD. I guess you might be able to buy one in good shape for around $100,000 – $125,000 USD if someone was interested in selling
.
Sewer pipes go below the pod from the center area…
Thanks much and hope this helps!
Drew
Anyone aware of the similar concept of the Dymaxion House developed by inventor and architect Buckminster Fuller in 1929? I would call this a beautiful and insightful reinterpretation of Fuller’s design, but can’t really credit Suuronen with a truly innovative idea. Fuller was significant, and his designs should certainly have been known in Europe by the late 60s.
Hate to rain on the parade, but feel proper credit may be due to another design leader as well.
I would buy one if they would still produce it. Are there any plans available? What is the approx. cost? Where is the sewer?
Dr. Nagy
Tennessee, USA
You find one at the right corner of the former “Berliner Rundfunk” area in Berlin, Nalepastrasse.
Position: 52 28’40.74”North 13 29’55.09” East
See the pics here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=STFVU1HX
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EC3F7DCF
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FDNSG8RI