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. The collection currently (as of the date of the latest addition/update to this page) comprises 560 physical items plus 164 "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  • Out Of Date Item Descriptions: Item descriptions were accurate at the time collection items were acquired but may have become outdated since.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

Music CD & Vinyl

Listed below are music CD's and vinyl records related to Futuro included in this collection.

Latest Update(s)/Addition(s) ***
  1. Ωne - Bruce Stringer | Received 072215
  2. All Away - The Summer Suns | Purchased 021118
  3. Astronaut - The Feelers | Purchased 010417
  4. Elektro GT - Mikko Hassinen | Received 082215
  5. Future House - Various Artists | Purchased 110213
  6. High Mileage - T. Heislen | Purchased 092316
  7. In 4 The Evening - Nights On Venus | Purchased 061414
  8. Juno Specter - Juno Specter | Purchased 080212
  9. Music From The Film "Futuro" - Ektroverde | Purchased 120112
  10. Needle's Eye - The Cybermen | Purchased 110113
  11. *** Nostalgia Machine - Soft Cell | Purchased 040423
  12. Outlaws - Ludivine Issambourg | Received 020321
  13. Slightly Odway - Jebediah | Purchased 080212
  14. Split 7" - FOD/The Dead Milkmen | Purchased 092919
  15. Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus - The Low Frequency in Stereo | Purchased 031215
  16. Unknown Track - Unknown Artist | Purchased 081920

Ωne - Bruce Stringer | Received 072215

Australian musician Bruce Stringer is described by Music Street Journal (where he is a staff member) as:

"... an Australian guitarist who has played internationally and worked on various independent soundtracks and theme-scores."

Bruce recently contacted us regarding his current CD, Ωne, which features artwork based on photos taken at Wanli and he even sent us a copy. Along with the CD Bruce also sent us a promotional guitar pick for the CD and a set of other photos shot at Wanli which can be found here. Many thanks Bruce.

For anyone who might be interested in obtaining the CD it is available as a digital download at CDBaby and as a physical CD on E-Bay.

Bruce Stringer CD - Ωne - Front

Bruce Stringer CD - Ωne - Back

Bruce Stringer CD - Ωne - Booklet 1

Bruce Stringer CD - Ωne - Booklet 2

Bruce Stringer CD - Ωne - Booklet 3

High Mileage - T. Heislen | Purchased 092316

The cover of Plano, TX singer/songwriter T. Heislen's CD High Mileage features a photo of the Royse City Futuro (prior to the 2014 exterior paint upgrade). The actual CD itself also features the same image.

T. Heilsen - High Mileage - Cover

T. Heilsen - High Mileage - CD

Futuro Film Soundtrack - Ektroverde | Purchased 120112

Ektroverde"Futuro - Music From The Film Futuro: A New Stance For Tomorrow" by Ektroverde is the soundtrack from the 1998 Mika Taanila short film of the same name. We have to confess that musically it is not really our "cup of tea" but hey - the CD has Futuro on the cover so it is not all bad!

Juno Specter - Juno Specter | Purchased 080212

Juno Specter - Juno SpecterJuno Specter the self titled third album by the band of the same name features the Royse City Futuro on the cover. Judging by the photo is looks like it was taken at a time when the Futuro was in better condition that its current dilapidated state. Hopefully one day it will get some well deserved love!

Needle's Eye - The Cybermen | Purchased 110113

Needle's Eye - The CybermenThe Cybermen's CD "Needle's Eye" features the Futuro House on the inside artwork of the CD cover. The video for the title track also features the Futuro House.

In the video we see the Futuro displayed at the Exposición Internacional del Confort Humano in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1969 along with some shots of scale models of Futuros from an event we term "The Sandbox".

Needle's Eye - The Cybermen

Needle's Eye - The Cybermen

Travelling Ants Who Got ... | Purchased 031215

Produced in 2004 the somewhat bizarrely named album Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus is by Norwegian band The Low Frequency In Stereo (founded in 2000 in Haugesund, Norway).

Their music has been described as "a mixture of the long solo elements in The Doors set to the raptide of Joy Division's "Transmission" with the surf guitar twang of Dick Dale.

The cover art of the album features images of a Futuro House; it is not clear, to us at least, whether this is just "cool" art for the CD or whether in fact any of the tracks relate in some way to the Futuro.

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus - Front

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus - Back

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus - Insert Front

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten By Moskus - Insert Back

Outlaws - Ludivine Issambourg | Received 020321

The artwork for Outlaws by French flautist Ludivine Issambourg features Craig Barnes' UK Futuro photoshopped into an imaginary location.

Ludivine Issambourg - Outlaws - Outside

Ludivine Issambourg - Outlaws - Inside

Nostalgia Machine - Soft Cell | Purchased 040423

Nostalgia Machine - Soft CellNostalgia Machine, a CD single by Soft Cell (most famous of course for their 1981 version of "Tainted Love") features an image of the Royse City Futuro on its cover.

We have no idea what relationship if any the Futuro has to the music; it could be simply that they thought it made for a "cool" cover.

All Away - The Summer Suns | Purchased 021118

In 1989 Perth based band The Summer Suns released the 7" single "All Away". The back cover of the record featured a photo of the Willeton Futuro (now disassembled and stored in a back yard in High Wycombe)

The Summer Suns - All Away - Front

The Summer Suns - All Away - Back

Astronaut - The Feelers | Purchased 010417

The CD Astronaut by New Zealand band The Feelers features a photo of the Thames Futuro on both the cover and the actual CD.

The Feelers - Asstronaut - Cover

The Feelers - Asstronaut - CD

Elektro GT - Mikko Hassinen | Purchased 082215

The cover art for the CD Elektro GT by Mikko Hassinen features an iconic Futuro photo that shows a Futuro slung under a Swedish Air Force helicopter flying over a train travelling through a forest like landscape. More information on this photograph can be found here, here and here.

Mikko Hassinen CD - Elektro GT - Front

Mikko Hassinen CD - Elektro GT - Back

Future House - Various Artists | Purchased 110213

Future House is a February 2004 release on the label Rambling Japan. The CD, by various artists, is characterized as being of the genre "Funky/Club House"; being not much of a music type that means nothing to us though this Wikipedia Page attempts to explain. The front and back covers and the insert feature the Futuro House.

Future House - Front

Future House - Back

As delivered the CD had a small cardboard advert around the spine. This advert was for the DVD "Dreaming Future House"; not sure if the music on the CD is from the DVD or not; we have not listened to it. The advert can be seen in the two shots below.

Future House - Front With Insert

Future House - Back With Insert

In 4 The Evening - Nights On Venus | Purchased 061414

Nights On Venus - In 4 The EveningIn 4 The Evening, released in 2012, was the second album by band Nights On Venus. A very cool photo of the Royse City Futuro is on the cover of the CD (and also on the interior art).

The photo is by Dallas based singer Noel Kerns who also creates amazing art using a technique called "Painting With Light."

Nights On Venus - In 4 The Evening

Slightly Odway - Jebediah | Purchased 080212

Slightly Odway - Jebediah Slightly Odway by Jebediah features cover art that includes a shot of the Futuro currently in storage somewhere in High Wycombe, Perth and formerly located at Leach Highway/Karel Avenue.

At them time of writing this Futuro is the focus of a Facebook Group "Bring Back The Leach Hwy/Karel Ave Spaceship" (Dead link - archived pdf here).

Split 7" - FOD/The Dead Milkmen | Purchased 092919

This "split" 7" vinyl record is by The Dead Milkmen and FOD (Flag Of Democracy). According to a 2015 article on the website Punknews.org the record was pressed in 1985 but was then left abandoned in a basement only to be "rediscovered" in 2015.

The sleeve graphics feature a photo hailing from the series of Futuro models that were set up in a "sandbox" environment and photographed in 1969. An extensive set of photographs of this event is held as a part of the digital collections of the Espoo City Museum (the Espoo City Museum organization includes several museums among them being the WeeGee Exhibition Center which is the home of the fully restored Futuro #001 previously located in Hirvensalmi). The photographs, displayed on this site under CC BY-ND 4.0 license, can be found here.

Split 7 Inch Single - FOD/The Dead Milkmen

Record - Unknown Track & Artist | Purchased 092919

This 4 ¾" square record features an image of the Dombai Futuro. It is stamped on very thin plastic or vinyl; far thinner than a standard vinyl record.

According to Google Translate the description of the item on the Russian Auction site we purchased it from read "1970 photography flexi plate Dombai camp site singing hearts clouds in the river musical souvenir". With no means of playing it and, even if we had, no way to understand Russian we have no idea what the track actually is.

The 1970 date is incorrect (perhaps it was meant to be 1970's?) because this Futuro was not installed in Dombai until much later in the 1970's.

Square Record - Unknown Artist & Track - Image Of Dombai Futuro

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