The Futuro House - Locations, Information, Photographs, History, Global Map (original) (raw)

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032324 | Latest content update published! For details of the updates check out the Site Update History Page

About The Home Of Everything Futuro

More accurately called Futuro Houses these 20th Century prefabricated homes are often referred to as "UFO Houses". We first came across the Futuro House around July 2011 right after we had started the architecture blog "Strange, Weird, Wonderful & Cool Buildings" and the Futuro House located in Royse City, TX, USA became the subject of one of our early posts.

As time passed we became more and more immersed in researching the Futuro House both from a historical and a current perspective. The early blog post grew into "The Futuro House Project" which was still in theory a "post" on the blog though it grew far beyond a simple "post" and the blog itself really stopped growing as all of our spare time went into our new interest (perhaps some might say obsession) and eventually we transitioned "The Futuro House Project" to its own domain TheFuturoHouse.com.

This site has since become the most complete resource for information about the Futuro House anywhere with history, both general and specific to individual units, a large collection of memorabilia, books, magazines, newspaper articles and multiple document archives (here and here) relating to the Futuro, a constantly updated listing of all current known locations and a Google Map of those locations worldwide. We have also been fortunate enough to be able to visit several Futuros in the US, Finland and Germany (11 to date) and hope to visit more in the future. Think IFHDB (Internet Futuro House Database) the Futuro equivalent of the IMDB!

We strive for accuracy at all times but things do change as Futuros change hands and move from time to time and the history, much of it from long before the internet access to "any information any time" we are used to now became the norm, can be unclear, confusing and conflicting at times so sometimes inaccuracies do creep in. If you know of anything on these pages that is inaccurate or can add anything new please let us know. We can be contacted through this site's Contact Form or directly by email.

The Gallery

Known Futuro Houses

Googie Huts

Many websites and other media report the presence of Futuro Houses in Antarctica. Indeed when we first started out on our "Futuro Journey" we were of the same opinion and we added pages to this website for each of these units. However research later confirmed that the units in the Antarctic region are not Futuros; they are in fact "Googie Huts". For the record we have retained this content on the site even though the units are not Futuro Houses; more information on "Googie Huts" and the rationale for our decision not to clasify these structures as Futuro Houses can be found here.

Events

Futuro World Exhibition 051518-TBD

In the summer of 2015 the WeeGee Exhibition Center launched an exhibition titled "Futuro World"; it ran from 061615 through 013116. The exhibition was located in "Studio Suuronen" (the old museum shop space - renamed - located in the lobby of the WeeGee Exhibition Center). At the time the WeeGee Exhibition Center website described the exhibition in this way:

"Studio Suuronen will feature the Futuro World exhibition, which showcases the Futuro house, completed in 1968, and its distribution across the globe by means of photographs, captions and map graphics. The exhibition will feature photos of almost 50 Futuro houses from various corners of the world. In addition, there will be some interior photos illustrating their different decoration styles."

As a part of the 2018 celebrations and events marking the 50th Anniversary of the Futuro the exhibition was relaunched as "Futuro World 50 Years" and was scheduled to run 051518 through 123118. However the exhibition did not end on the due date and its current "end date" is unknown.

A Flying Saucer In Town 060217-TBD

Following an official opening 060117 the Futuro previously located in Witten, Germany was on display and open to the public at "Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum" (The New Collection - The Design Museum), one of four state-owned houses belonging to Munich's Pinakothek der Moderne. Initial indications were that the Futuro would remain on display through 060318 but it has remained there much longer and currently the "end date", should there still be a plan to remove the Futuro at some point, is unknown.

Futuro #001 Open 051623-091723

Futuro #001 is a part of the collection of the WeeGee Exhibition Center located in Espoo, Finland. The Futuro is open to public each year through the summer months. The 2023 season will run from 051623 through 091723. We visited WeeGee in 2014 and we can tell you that if you do have the opportunity to visit it is well worthwhile; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.

Dora Budor: The Storage Machine 080322-040223

The WeeGee Exhibition Center website tells us that Dora Budor's installation The Storage Machine will run 080322-040223 and that it:

"... will be seen as part of the In Search of Modernity exhibition. The site-bound work is a closed yellow space, inside which a lonely robotic bird flies back and forth in a landscape made of scraps and pieces of ruined buildings found near the museum. The bird's trajectory is based on a motion vector derived from a song by composer Magnus Lindberg.

The title of the work, Säylytyskone, comes from Philip K. Dick's 1953 science fiction novella, which tells the story of an attempt to preserve classical music during a cultural collapse by encoding sheet music into animals. Mutations in animals, however, make musical works unrecognizable - nature and culture compete for existence.

Dora Budor (b. 1984) is a Croatian artist working in New York. He uses an art exhibition as his medium, the elements of which he strengthens, separates or combines again and thus builds a mutual dependence between the work and the space. Using the phenomenological equipment of a film performance, he creates images that act as channels of memory and meaning.

Of interest to Futuro fans is the fact that the original Polykem Futuro molds feature as part of the "landscape made of scraps and pieces of ruined buildings found near the museum". With Futuro #001 also on site it would clearly be an interesting time for a Futuro fan to visit the center should they be in the area.

Open House Geneva 061122-082822

The Haigerloch Futuro has made a road trip and will be on display in Geneva, Switzerland 061122 thru 082822 as a part of Session 4 of the exhibition Open House Geneva.

Futuro #001 Open 060121-091221

Futuro #001 is a part of the collection of the WeeGee Exhibition Center located in Espoo, Finland. The Futuro is open to public each year through the summer months. The 2021 season will run from 060121 through 091221. We visited WeeGee in 2014 and we can tell you that if you do have the opportunity to visit it is well worthwhile; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.

Postcards From The Futuro | Todmorden Information Center 110320 - 112820

The Todmorden Information Centre (located at 15 Burnley Rd, Todmorden OL14 7BU, United Kingdom) will feature a small exhibition titled "Postcards From The Futuro" from 110320 through 112820.

Curator and art historian Elizaveta Butakova along with some Todmorden based artists has put together a small exhibition inspired by the Futuro House which will take place at the Todmorden Information Centre in November. Five local artists have produced new artworks featuring the Futuro, which will be turned into a set of postcards. The show will also feature a number of archived images of the Futuro.

We would love to be able to visit the exhibition but alas even if it were not cost prohibitive this is clearly not the time to be trying to get from the US to the UK and back again. However if you are anywhere in the area why not check it out?

Architecture Film Festival Oslo | Futuro Film Screening 031520

Update 041420

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the strange world we all currently share this event has been postponed until sometime later in 2020. We will update this page once a new date is set.

Original Information 030120

If you have never had the chance to see the 1998 film Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow directed by Mika Taanila you have an opportunity to do so if you will be in the Oslo, Norway area March 2020. The film will be screened on 031520, the final day of a 3 day Architecture Film Festival; information about the festival can be found here.

As an added bonus the film will be introduced by Futuro historian Marko Home who will also give a talk on Futuro after the screening. Marko is an authority on Futuro and worked with Mika Taanila on the film and well as on the iconic Futuro book Futuro: Tomorrow's House from Yesterday.

If you are in the area and have an interest in Futuro this seems like a "must see" event!

Futuro #001 Open 051419-091519

Futuro #001 is a part of the collection of the WeeGee Exhibition Center located in Espoo, Finland. The Futuro is open to public each year through the summer months. The 2019 season will run from 051419 through 091519. We visited WeeGee in 2014 and we can tell you that if you do have the opportunity to visit it is well worthwhile; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.

Futuro Film Streaming 050719-052919

The 1998 documentary film "Futuro: A New Stance for Tomorrow" directed by Mika Taanila and researched, written and edited by Taanila and Marko Home tells the "Futuro story" up to the point in time the film was produced and it features great footage of Futuros and interviews with several Futuro "celebrities" including, among others, Matti Suuronen [architect and Futuro designer], Matti Kuusla [owner of Futuro 001], Ensio Söderström [CEO of Polykem Oy] and Charles Wilp [artist & Futuro owner].

The Finnish Broadcasting Company [YLE] broadcast the film four times between 1998 and 2000 and recently ran the film five days in a row starting 050219. They have also added the film to their website and it can be viewed/streamed until 052919. While the film will not have subtitles and is mostly in Finnish there are also some parts with English dialogue. That said if you have never seen the film this is a great opportunity to do so; even if you miss much of the dialogue some of the archival footage is well worth a look so take the chance while it is available!

UK Futuro In Le Havre 062318-092318

Glamorama Futurama 060818-092118

In celebration of Futuro 50th birthday multiple locations around Darwin, Australia will feature lightboxes with Futuro art works and photos. offtheleash.net.au describes the event this way:

"2018 marks 50 years since the Futuro was designed. Architect Peter Dermoudy brought one to Darwin and lived inside it in 1970s. Curated by Koulla Roussos, the lightbox exhibition is across The Mall, Chinatown and Nightcliff Pool with new works by Polly Johnstone, Fernanda Dupal, Tarzan JungleQueen, Matthew van Roden and Gloria Richards."

A Facebook page with a little more information for the event can be found here.

Midnight Modern Series IV 013118-030318

Photographer Tom Blachford's ongoing photographic series "Midnight Modern" is described as being "an ongoing series and exploration into the interplay between Architecture, Moonlight, Mountains and the tension of an unspoken narrative". I do not pretend to "get" art and I have no clue how to interpret the phrase "tension of an unspoken narrative" in the context of the photos but I will say this - the photo of the Idyllwild Futuro included in Series IV of "Midnight Modern" is absolutely one of my favorite all time Futuro photos.

At the time of writing through 030318 "Midnight Modern Series IV" is on display in Sydney, Australia at the Michael Reid gallery. The Futuro photo is available for purchase at 3500unframedand3500 unframed and 3500unframedand4700 framed, a little "rich for my blood" despite the fact that I do love the photo.

Finnische Disko 012418

The Finnish Crazy Games 092317-092417

Sydney artist and arts worker Daniel Soma has created a Futuro related art installation for The Finnish Crazy Games (092317-092417) at the Embassy of Finland to Australia as part of the celebration of the centenary of Finnish independence.

The installation reprises Daniel's 2016 case study and exhibition, FUTURO!, that took place at the Interlude Gallery, Sydney, Australia between 041416 and 042316.

Ellipsoid Episode 081917-092417

The 500X Gallery in Dallas, TX is currently hosting a show titled "A Hard Place". One of the features of the show is a video entitled "Ellipsoid Episode" by Julia Zinnbauer.

Despite the fact that I actually live in Dallas I only heard about this today and with the show ending tomorrow I might have missed the chance to see it.

L'utopie De L'habitat Plastique 070117-093017

The Marseille Futuro, along with other structures, will be on display as part of an exhibition titled "L'Utopie De L'Habitat Plastique" or, according to Google Translate "The Utopia Of Plastic Habitat" which is subtitled "Years 1960-1970" and scheduled to run July through September 2017 at la Friche de l'Escalette outside Marseille, France.

Tours Of "Futuro 22" Ongoing

On the first Wednesday of every month "Futuro 22" is open for public tours. The Futuro is located on third floor terrace of the University of the Arts London's Central St Martins' building. Tickets can be purchased online here.

Man About The Futuro House 061517

For the last several years Australian performers Tim Ross and Kit Warhurst have taken temporary possession of Architecturally significant buildings to present a show that skillfully blends storytelling, music and design. On June 15th they will present their show, "Man About The Futuro House", in Craig Barnes "Futuro 22". Tickets can be purchased here.

The Spirit Of The Space Age 061217

On Monday June 12th Craig Barnes will discuss how he bought and renovated "Futuro 22". The talk is hosted by the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution. It is unclear, at least to us, whether the talk will be actually in the Futuro or in Bath at the institution but either way we are sure it will be a very interesting event.

Futuro: A New Stance For Tomorrow 042217

Private Tour Of "Futuro 22" Date TBD

Update 030417

The E-Bay listing ended with a sale price of £37.00.

Original Information 020417

As of 020217 an E-Bay listing offers a private tour of "Futuro 22" for up to 6 people. Proceeds from the auction benefit Sluice, a not for profit arts organization. The tour must be taken by September 2017. The E-Bay listing ends 021217.

Older Events Have Been Archived

In order to reduce the size of this page older events have been removed. If you are doing any research and are looking for information regarding past events feel free to contact us; if we are able to assist we will nbe happy to do so

Classifieds

Futuro Houses For Sale

Following a recent visit to the Royse City Futuro Instagram user @turtletop_g20 posted some photos and added that they had spoken to a construction worker who had told them "they're moving it to storage soon to put a parking lot in its place, and it's for sale! Just $20,000."

Interestingly the Futuro's Facebook page makes no mention of this. When you add that fact to the idea that the price, even for a shell, in our opinion seems to be too low we have some doubts as to whether the construction worker had the right information. That said we have made some inquiries and hopefully we will have a definitive answer as to whether this Futuro is on the market soon. In the meantime if anyone has any further information please let us know.

These units were previously listed for sale but they never "sold" and currently we are not sure whether they are still on the market or not.

As of 042921 there is a US based Futuro currently available. The owner is interested in talking with serious prospective purchasers willing to start negotiations on price at around $150K US. If your are interested please contact us and we will pass your information along to the owner.
The Saint-Ouen Futuro has been listed for sale by Architecture De Collection. The unit is listed at €130,000. We are unsure if this Futuro is actually still on the market as the link to the listing on Architecture De Collection is no longer functional. More detailed information about this Futuro and the sale listing can be found on the Saint-Ouen page.

These Futuro Houses have come to market and sold over the years this website has been in operation.

Greenwich
New Jersey, USA
Price: $26,900
Auctioned 051314
E-Bay

Lorne
VIC, Australia
Price: Unknown
Ended 030616
Gumtree

Norrköping
Sweden
Price: SEK 500,000
Auctioned 101216
Fortifikationsverket

Rockland
WI, USA
Price: Unknown
July 2017
Sale By Owner

Warrington
New Zealand
Price: Unknown
Ended 091817
Trademe

Media
WI, USA
Price: Unknown
December 2018
Sale By Owner

Harewood
New Zealand
Price: Unknown
Ended December 2020
Sale By Owner

Norrköping
Sweden
Price: Unknown
Ended September 2023
Sale By Owner

Futuro Houses Wanted

We currently have a list of people around the world that are interested in purchasing a Futuro House.

If you own a Futuro and might be interested in selling we may be able to assist in putting you in touch with the potential buyers. If you are aware of a Futuro for sale that is not listed here please let us know. You can contact us using our Contact Form or directly by email.

Original Polykem Molds For Sale (Please Note This Was Some Time Ago - Current Status Unknown)

We have been informed that the original Finnish Futuro House molds now available for purchase! The asking price is $150,000 ex works in Finland. The molds are being offered for sale by the current owner Mr. Jyrki Aho who can be contacted via email at jyrki.aho@kwikgroup.com

New Futuro houses manufactured with the original Finnish molds are also being offered; presumably only until such time as the molds are sold. Delivery timeline would be negotiated upon confirming an order and prices start around $200,000 ex works in Finland. If you are interested pleasecontact Mr. Jyrki Aho at jyrki.aho@kwikgroup.com

For more information and higher res versions of the photos of the moulds see the Concept, Design, & Manufacturing Page.

DISCLAIMER: The FuturoHouse.com is neither the owner nor the seller of these moulds or of Futuro Houses manufactured using these moulds and makes no representations to that effect. While there are clear photographs which give an idea of the condition of the moulds we are talking a significant amount of money here so, if you are interested, contact Jyrki and do your own due diligence in terms of authenticity, completeness and condition.

Futuro Items For Sale

We have aquired a large collection of Futuro related items and memorabilia over the years and one way and another we have managed to end up with a few duplicate items. If you are interested in purchasing any of these please feel free to contact us with an offer. Currently available items are listed below and more details can be found by clicking the link for the item you are interested in.