The Futuro House

The Futuro House was conceived by Matti Suuronen in 1968 as a "portable" ski chalet. It is an iconic piece of architecture and this site is devoted to documenting the history of the Futuro and the current status and whereabouts of the remaining examples.





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About "Things Futuro" | TheFuturoHouse.com Collection

Our interest in the Futuro House quickly became our passion for the Futuro House and eventually, perhaps some might say, our obsession with the Futuro House. We collect books, magazines, collectibles and other items that relate to the Futuro House in some way. As is the case with all collections it started off relatively small with easy to obtain pieces but over time it has become quite extensive and worthy of "Futuro Nuts".

The collection contains all manner of items from unique original pieces from the early days of Futuro through contemporary mass-produced items and everything in between. At the time of the latest update to this page the collection comprises 513 physical items plus 161 "digital" items (in particular digital copies of newspaper articles) and these pages are effectively the collection's "catalog".

Additional items can also be found in The Charles Cleworth Futuro House Archive and in several smaller collections and archives.

As is the case with most collectors we are always looking to add to this collection so if you have Futuro related items for sale or know of any Futuro items for sale please let us know.

A Few Notes Relating To This Collection
  • Out Of Date Item Descriptions: Item descriptions were accurate at the time collection items were acquired but may have become outdated since. In the event that information pertaining to an item has changed following the reference links in item descriptions will take you to pages where that updated information can be found.
  • Translation: There are a number of items in this collection in languages other than English. While Google Translate can be a valuable tool it is never as good as a true translation by a bi-lingual person. Such items will display a "Translate" icon. If you are able and would be willing to translate an item please click the "Translate" icon for that item to send an email requesting high res files for the purposes of translation. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. You would receive full attribution for the translation along with a link to your own website (or other website of your choosing) and you would also have the satisfaction of knowing your are contributing to the Futuro knowledge store here on this website.
  • Copyright: These pages contain photographs of various books, magazines and other items in this collection. Many of these items, and certainly the majority of the books and magazines are subject to copyright and the images are deliberately of a fairly low resolution and are used here simply to catalogue this collection and to provide you with a glimpse of what you would be getting if you chose to follow a similar path to us and purchase any of these items for yourself. If you wish to display any of this subject matter on your own website or otherwise use it please respect the publishers copyright and purchase your own copy.
  • Amazon Links: These pages are not aimed at advertising and we are not trying to sell you anything. However, there are expenses with keeping up a website such as this and we spend a great deal of time researching and trying to maintain this site as the most up to date and complete Futuro House resource on the web. So if, and only if, you already intend to purchase for yourself something we have in this collection please consider using the links provided here to do so if the price is right (we strongly suggest exploring other online retailers as well before making a purchase; most of the links here are to Amazon and while their prices are almost always competitive they are not always the cheapest). Doing this will not increase your cost but it will earn us a small (and it is small) commission on the sale that will be put towards our recurring web hosting costs. You know what the proverbial "they" say - every little helps!
  • Item Loans: We have in the past loaned items to institutions for various exhibitions (details here) and, on a case by case basis, are prepared to do so again in the future. If you are interested in such a loan please contact us with details of the Institution and/or Exhibition making the inquiry, the dates the items would be required and which items you are interested in displaying.
Sections Of The Collection

Catalogs & Guides

Listed below are catalogs & guides included in this collection. Note that any publication that might, on the face of it fit this category, that has an ISBN number will be listed in the appropriate books section rather than in this section.

Latest Update(s)/Addition(s) ***
  1. Auction Catalog - Christie's (Arts Décoratifs Du XXème Siècle Et Design) - 112707 | Purchased 041213
  2. Auction Catalog - Quittenbaum (Skandinavisches Design) - 030614 | Purchased 052814
  3. Auction Catalog - Wright (Important Design) - 060209 | Purchased 020114
  4. Auction Catalog - Wright (Modernist 20th Century) - 120504 | Purchased 052014
  5. Competition Catalog - Monumentenstrijd: Blaas Een Monument Nieuw Leven In | 2006 | Dutch | Received 052221
  6. Exhibition Catalog - "Plastic As Plastic" - 1968 | Purchased 081916
  7. Guide Book - Espoo Guide: Experience Espoo 2015 | Received 062615
  8. *** Guide Book - Dombai Tourist | 1987 | Russian | Purchased 062921
  9. Guide Book - FinnFocus 68, London | Purchased 040417
  10. Guide Book - Helsinki Region Museums 2014/15 | Purchased 070814
  11. Guide Book - IKA, 1971, Lüdenscheid | Purchased 081916
  12. Guide Book - Un Éte Au Havre, 2018 | Received 120719

Christie's Auction Catalog - 112707 | Purchased 041213

Update 030714

We had often thought, based on timing and photos, that the Futuro exhibited at MUDAM and subsequently sold at Christies was likely the one now located in Limni, Corfu but we could not be certain. In an email we received this week the Futuro's owner, Dakis Joannou, confirmed that this was the case.

Original Information 041213

On 112707 world famous auction house Christie's held an auction in Paris (Christie's Auction #5483) entitled Arts Décoratifs Du XXème Siècle Et Design. Lot 391 of this auction was a Futuro House. This is the Christie's Catalog for that auction.

Much of the history of the Futuro House can be unclear and at times what information there is can be confusing or even contradictory. When determining what is or is not fact one is often left basing an opinion on the credibility of the source of that information. The Christie's Catalog provides some history of the unit that was auctioned and it seems to us that as a premiere international auction house it is almost certain that whatever information they provided was fact.

So, what does the catalog tell us? Christie's recounts that the Futuro that was auctioned was one of the few that was produced directly by Polykem, executed under Belgian-Benelux license. There are several references to there being three Futuros in Belgium (see the Tildonk Futuro page for more details) in the early 70's and most suggest they were initially together at a single location; you can find a Press Photo of the three Futuro's here and there is also a very similar photo in the April 2001 issue of Casa Brutus Magazine.

In addition Christie's tells us that this Futuro House was the one exhibited in as part of a 2007 exhibition at the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (known as MUDAM) in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The exhibition was titled "Tomorrow Now - When Design Meets Science Fiction" and it ran from 052507 to 092407.

The Futuro was listed for €150,000-200,000; at the auction it did not quite get into that range but it did sell for a rather impressive €140,000. The buyer and the eventual destination for the Futuro remains unknown, at least to us. Interestingly the Christie's webpage that lists the results of the auction does not include all of the lots and Lot 391, the Futuro House, is one of the ones that is not listed.

Of course having said that the catalog provides us with some factual information it also adds to the "mystery". We had previously though that the Futuro displayed at the MUDAM exhibition was the Belgian Futuro owned by Philemon Vanlangendonck and there is evidence to support that theory - see page 4 of this file. However for that to be the case it would also have to be the one sold at auction in 2007 yet Philemon Vanlangendonck reportedly continued to own his Futuro long after 2007 and in fact still owns it as far as we are aware (based on emails received at the end of 2012).

So we are left with a mystery to ponder; perhaps Philemon Vanlangendonck owned two Futuro's, perhaps the one displayed at MUDAM was not actually the one owned by Philemon Vanlangendonck, perhaps the information indicating Philemon Vanlangendonck still owns a Futuro was in error? In the end maybe it is the mystery and the search for the "true story" that actually fuels our fascination with the Futuro House. Whatever the truth this catalog is a great addition to our collection and "another piece of the puzzle".

The catalog features some great photos of the Futuro on display at MUDAM and it also features some great photos of Futuro #002 on display at the Finnfocus-Export Fair in London in 1968.

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Cover

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Page 139

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Pages 140 - 141

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Pages 142 - 143

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Pages 144 - 145

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Pages 146 - 147

Christie's Auctions Catalog November 2007 Pages 148 - 149

"Plastic As Plastic" Catalog - 1968 | Purchased 081916

This is the catalog for the exhibition "Plastic As Plastic" which ran from 112368 through 011269 at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now the Museum of Arts and Design) in New York City.

On page 3 of the catalog there is a photo of Futuro #000 in Turenki (which has a rather odd yellow tint to it). In the brief caption that accompanies the photo the structure is actually referred to as the "Futuro Weekend House".

Plastic As Plastic Exhibition Catalog - Front

Plastic As Plastic Exhibition Catalog - Page 33

Un Éte Au Havre Guide Book - 2018 | Received 120719

In 2017 the French city of Le Havre hosted "Un Éte Au Havre" (or "A Summer In Le Havre") during which various art works and installations were added around the city apparently to increase tourism.

The event was repeated in 2018 and now appears to have been added to the cities calendar as an annual event.

During the 2018 event Craig Barnes' UK Futuro was transported to Le Havre and installed in Les Jardins Suspendus (The Hanging Gardens).

This is the guide book for Un Éte Au Havre, 2018; the Futuro features on the cover and then on pages 7 and 16-17. Fellow Futuro collector and enthusiast Yves Buysse sent us this copy for our collection; many thanks Yves.

Un Ete Au Havre - Guide Book - Cover

Un Ete Au Havre - Guide Book - Page 7

Un Ete Au Havre - Guide Book - Pages 16-17

Quittenbaum Auction Catalog - 030614 | Purchased 052814

On 060314 German art auction house Quittenbaum auctioned an original Futuro House Chair/Bed Unit. The unit was Lot #38 in Quittenbaum Auction 115A "Scandinavian Design" and was listed with a guide price of €3,000-4,000. This is the printed catalog for the auction.

We considered putting in a bid on the unit; while we dream of owning our own Futuro realistically we are unlikely to ever be in a position to realize that dream. More realistically we are planning at some point to turn one room in our house into a sort of "Futuro Exhibit" and we figured the Chair/Bed unit would be a cool "center piece." Even at the low end of the estimate we would have been stretching it and in the end we decided not to bid and it turned out the low end of the estimate would not have made it anyway; the unit sold for €4,500.

Quittenbaum Auction - Scandinavian Design - 060314 - Catalog Cover

Quittenbaum Auction - Scandinavian Design - 060314 - Lot 38

Wright Auction Catalog - 060209 | Purchased 020114

Wright Auction catalog | Important Design | 020609High end Chicago based auction house Wright held an auction titled "Important Design" on 060209. Lot 138 of this auction was a Futuro House. The Futuro House auctioned was located in Bailey, Colorado. The auction was won by Mark Haddawy and the Futuro was moved to its current location in Los Angeles, CA.

This print copy of the catalog for the auction features a short article on the Futuro House and a single photograph (not of the unit actually auctioned).

Wright Auction catalog | Important Design | 020609 | Lot 138

Wright Auction Catalog - 120504 | Purchased 052014

On 120504 Chicago based auction house Wright held an auction titled "Modernist 20th Century"; Lot 369 of the auction featured an architectural model of the Futuro House and an extensive archive with original tear sheets, photographs, floor plans, articles and a book about the Futuro project. This item is the printed catalog for the auction.

The model was constructed according to the Canadian floor plan of the Futuro House and the additional materials were from Futuro Fiberglass Homes Ltd, the Canadian licensee of the Futuro House. Pre-auction estimates for Lot 369 were $3,000 to $4,000; the realized price was $7,800.

A little more information including links to a personal recollection of the auction from Richard Pisani, owner of the Danvers Futuro, and a couple of photographs of the model can be found here.

Wright Auction - Modernist 20th Century - 120504 - Catalog Cover

Wright Auction - Modernist 20th Century - 120504 - Lot 369

Espoo Guide: Experience Espoo 2015 | Received 062615

This guide book, "Espoo Guide: Experience Espoo 2015", includes the WeeGee Exhibition Center, home to the faithfully restored Futuro #001 (originally located in Hirvensalmi) on page 22 in a section titled "Cultural Experiences". There is a single exterior photo of the Futuro.

WeeGee Exhibition Center Event Guide Spring 2015 - Cover

WeeGee Exhibition Center Event Guide Spring 2015 - Inside

FinnFocus, London Guide Book - 1968 | Purchased 040417

FinnFocus 68, London - Guide Book - CoverFuturo #002, now located in Matsalu, Estonia, was exhibited as a part of the Finnfocus-Export Fair in 1968 and there became the first Futuro to be exhibited to a "mass audience."

It was only after this exhibition that the Futuro actually got the name Futuro.

The exhibition was held aboard the MS Finnpartner which was moored on the Thames close to Tower Bridge in London for the event. The Futuro was exhibited on an upper deck.

This guide book for the exhibition includes introductions to the exhibition by several Finish and English politicians, deck plans showing where exhibits were located, a list of exhibitors and what they were exhibiting and several pages of ads. There are no photos of the Futuro but it is mentioned on one of the deck plans and in the exhibitor listing for Oy Polykem Ab.

FinnFocus 68, London - Guide Book - Deck Plan

FinnFocus 68, London - Guide Book - Polykem Listing

Helsinki Region Museums Guide ... | Purchased 070814

This is a 2014/15 Guide Book for museums in the Helsinki region with text in several languages. The WeeGee Exhibition Center is listed on page 44 and illustrated with a photo of the Futuro exhibit. We picked this up sometime during our July 2014 trip to Finland though frankly we do not recall where.

Helsinki Region Museums Guide Book 2014/15 - Front

Helsinki Region Museums Guide Book 2014/15 - Page 44

IKA Guide Book - 1971 | Purchased 032619

The Internationale Kunststoffhaus Ausstellung der Welt or IKA opened 080171 on a site just outside the German town of Lüdenscheid. Several different structures were on display at the event including a Futuro House. This Guide Book was sold at the exhibition. More detailed information about this exhibition can be found here.

FOR THE RECORD - This item is no longer held by us but it is interesting nonetheless and so we have left it here. It was actually exchanged with another collector for other Futuro related items.

IKA Program - Front

IKA Program - Inside 1

IKA Program - Inside 2

Monumentenstrijd Catalog - 2006| Received 2006

TranslateThe Futuro currently located in Limni, Corfu previously spent time in Belgium and was one of the entries in Belgian broadcaster VRT's project Monumentenstrijd in 2006 (translates to "Battle Monument" we believe). The project could be described this way:
  • The project revolved around the award of funds to the "winner" of a selection of architecturally significant sites in Belgium for the restoration of said site.
  • There were initially over 400 sites submitted for consideration.
  • 30 "finalists" were chosen from the 400 + by a selection panel.
  • The Futuro located in Tildonk (Haacht) was one of the 30 finalists.
  • The overall winner and the recipient of the prize would be chosen by public voting.
This publication was a "guide" to the 30 finalists and contained information on each of them; the Futuro was #21 and listed on page 18.

Unfortunately the Futuro did not win the competition.

Monumentenstrijd Top 30 - Cover

Monumentenstrijd Top 30 -  Page 18

Dombai Tourist Guide Booklet - 1987 | Purchased 062921

Dombai Tourist Guide Booklet - 1987 - CoverThis 14 page tourist booklet features the Dombai Futuro on the cover.

The booklet carries the very simply title "Dombai Tourist" on the cover (according to Google Translate) along with the photo of the local Futuro.

On the inside there are many great photos of the area (it certainly looks like a beautiful area to visit) and commentary that presumably describes the area and its attractions and features. There are no additional photos of the Futuro inside the booklet and we do not know if it is mentioned in the text.

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