HOUSE OF THE FUTURO

December 21, 2021
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_{Above: A new Futuro House in the 1960s. Photo: FuturoHouse.net}

The Futuro House was designed by Matti Suuronen as a portable ski chalet in 1968. In total, less than 100 were built during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Futuro is constructed of reinforced fiberglass, polyester-polyurethane, and measures 13 feet high and 26 feet in diameter.

Futuro House, The Terrace, Central Saint Martins, King's Cross A restored Futuro House at The Terrace, Central Saint Martins, King's Cross. Photo: http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/

Inside a restored Futuro House, at The Terrace, Central Saint Martins, King's Cross. Photo: http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/

An excerpt from a February 1970 copy of Architecture d’aujourd’hui describes “Futuro” as: "The first model in a series of holiday homes to be licensed in 50 countries, already mass-produced in the United States, Australia and Belgium. The segments of the elliptic envelope are assembled on the site using a metal footing. Through its shape and materials used, the house can be erected in very cold mountains or even by the sea. The area is 50 sq m, the volume 140 cubic m, divided by adaptable partitions."

Vintage Futuro House interior. Photo: Cult of Weird

The oil crisis of 1973 tripled gasoline prices and made manufacture of plastic extremely expensive. Less than 100 were originally made and it is estimated that today around 60 of the original Futuro homes survive, owned mostly by private individuals. The prototype (serial number 000) is in the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The Futuro no. 001, the only other Futuro currently in a public collection, is in the possession of the WeeGee Exhibition Centre in Espoo, Finland.

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