Architect
Matti Suuronen
Design
1968
Completion
1968
Renovation
2012
Gross area
50 m²
Category
Assembly buildings Residential buildings
Tags
Modernism museum plastic prefabrication restoration

Futuro House is a prefabricated plastic residential building that was designed by architect Matti Suuronen for the plastic ware company Polykem in 1968. Futuro was part of Matti Suuronen’s plastic house series Casa Finlandia that he designed for Polykem. The mass production of Casa Finlandia houses never really succeeded. The oil crisis in 1973 effected dramatically to the prise of plastic and cut short the plans of mass production. The first prototypes of the Futuro were produced in 1968. One of them is today part of the museum collection of the WeeGee Exhibition Centre in Espoo. It was restored in 2012 and is open for public in the summertime.

The original colours for the ellipse-shaped Futuro were pale blue, white and yellow. The shape of the house was copied to the shape of windows, handgrips etc. The prefabricated building was designed so that it could be easy to put together. Polykem produced 20 Futuros in 1968–1970. Licence for the production was sold to 25 countries, but only approximately ten licences lead to actual production. The principal materials of the house are fibreglass-reinforced polyester plastic and polyurethane, which function as a supporting structure and thermal insulation. The building and its interiors weigh approximately 2500 kg.

Futuro was designed so that it could be moved in one piece on air, signalling the 1960s optimistic perspectives on technology and future lifestyle.

Location

Ahertajantie 5, Espoo
60.1784621, 24.7937161

Images

Futuro House is open for public in the summer time , Futuro House
Futuro House is open for public in the summer time , Futuro House (© Ari Karttunen)
Futuro House is open for public in the summer time , Futuro House
Futuro House is open for public in the summer time , Futuro House (© JIP / Wikimedia Commons)

Nearby projects

Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

The WeeGee Exhibition Centre (Weiling & Göös Printing House)

  • Espoo
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Tapiolan Aino and Sampo Housing

  • 300 m
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Tapiola Co-educational School

  • 600 m