Futuro House (aka UFO House): WeeGee Exhibition Center, Espoo, Finland: Strange, Weird, Wonderful And Cool Buildings:

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Ahertajantie 5, 02100 Espoo, Finland \| 60°10'44.12"N 24°47'39.98"E
Featured Image By lwsdm \| CC 2.0 \| Image Date 061212		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 070512
		View Larger Map
Additional Images & Video		Notes, History & Resources
Update 091612 And the great photography in Espoo continues unabated! Marko Saari held a photo shoot at the WeeGee Futuro 070212. The photos feature superb photography by Marko, the Futuro and beautiful model Mona. Two of these great photographs are displayed below with Marko's permission and you can check out the full set here. In addition a video below was made during the shoot; it provides an interesting insight into the shoot itself and also features some cool footage of the Futuro. You can check out a hi-res version of the video on Vimeo here. © Marko Saari \| From The Photo Set Futuro © Marko Saari \| From The Photo Set Futuro Update 090812 With this Futuro being on display and open to the public there are many many photographs around the web and I had not intended to add any more but then I saw an awesome set on Flickr by Christophe Brutel taken 090212. With Christophe's permission some of these are shown below but make sure to follow the link and check out the whole set. There are some cool interior shots and I particularly like the photos taken using the spherical filter [my description - I am sure there is a correct technical name for that type of filter but not being a photographer I have no idea what it is]. The first photo is probably my favorite Futuro photo. Update 080212 aboturku posted this great video of the WeeGee Futuro which showcases some of the photographs and other items accompanying the exhibit and features great footage of both the exterior and interior of the Futuro. The set of eight images below shows the Futuro as it goes through the reconstruction and refurbishment process. These pictures are reproduced here with the kind permission of Marko Home, the Producer of the WeeGee Futuro Exhibtion and editor of the definitive Futuro Book "Futuro". You can find the original posting of these images by Marko on the WeeGee Futuro House Facebook Page where you will also find some commentary to go along with the images. Above images © Marko Home reproduced with permission. Thank you Marko. Another really cool photo of the Futuro reflected in the windows of the Exhibition Center was taken by Cidoc12 Helsinki on 050812. While similar in many ways to the featured image above this photo is equally impressive and offers a slightly different perspective on the subject. This image is displayed with permission. Update 080112 Among the many visitors to the exhibition in Espoo has been lwsdm who visited on 061212 and took this marvellous set of photos reproduced here under CC 2.0. There are some great shots of the interior and I particularly like the featured photo above showing the Futuro as a reflection in the exhibition center windows. Update 071712 \| Now Located In Espoo Lewis Martin has posted this great photo of the fully restored Futuro [now in Espoo] on Flickr under a Creative Commons 2.0 License - thanks for publishing your work under CC Lewis. Original Information 110111 \| Located In Hirvensalmi At That Time This image of the Futuro in Hirvensalmi is from the document "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" which was written by Anna-Maija Kuitunen as her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. This thesis is freely available online here.		Update 061613 The Futuro is now open to the public again and will be so from 051413 through 090113 [WeeGee Exhibition Center website]. Update 100812 So, if you were planning on visiting the Futuro at the WeeGee Exhibition Center, I have some bad news for you; as of 091612 the exhibit is no longer open to the public. The good news; Marko Home has confirmed that the Futuro will remain at the center and the plan is to open it to the public again in summer 2013 [thanks for the update Marko]. Update 080112 One of the pages on the World Design Capital \| Helsinki 2012 Website discusses the Futuro 2012 Program in Espoo. There are some great photos of the Futuro there taken during transport and reconstruction. As well as having the Futuro on display to the public through 091612 there will be screenings of Mike Taanila's 1998 film "Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow a small exhibition featuring the utopian world of Futuro and speeches by Futuro experts. If you are anywhere close make sure to stop by; I am sure it will be well worth it. Update 071712 \| Now Located In Espoo Futuro 001 was purchased by the City of Espoo, Finland and it has now been restored and is on display at the WeeGee Exhibition Center. A press release originally dated 041111 can be found here. The WeeGee website indicates that the restored Futuro will be open to the public 050812 through 091612. Running in tandem will be screenings of Mika Taanila's film "Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow" along with Group Tours and talks by Futuro experts. Further details can be found on the WeeGee site here. Futuro 001 will then stay on site and will be open to the public again in the summer of 2013. There are some great photographs of the Futuro on the WeeGee Futuro House Facebook Page and in particlular there are some great shots of the Futuro in various stages of construction. The WeeGee Exposition Center is located at Ahertajantie 5, 02100 Espoo, Finland; I have not added any maps at this time since I can find no imagery recent enough to show the Futuro on site. The purchase and subsequent restoration of Futuro 001 prompted a 051012 article by Justin McGuirk title "Futuro - the ideal home that wasn't" in the British national daily newspaper The Guardian which can be found here. Original Information 110111 \| Located In Hirvensalmi At That Time Futuro 001 has been owned by TV celebrity Matti Kuusla since its manufacture. It is worth noting that despite the 001 numbering this was not the first Futuro manufactured - the prototype was numbered 000 and that Futuro has been fully restored and is on display at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Futuro has spent its life on a lakeside property in Hirvensalmi where, mainly because it has never had an electrical supply, it has been only used in a very limited way. The Futuro is not in the best condition and it was this that prompted Anna-Maija Kuitunen's to write her thesis which was largely about the current condition of Futuro 001 and the process that might be used to restore and preserve it as an iconic piece of Finnish architecture. The thesis "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" was written by Kuitunen as her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. This thesis is freely available online here. Sources & Reference: aboturku Futuro - the ideal home that wasn't \| Justin McGuirk Futuro no. 001 ... \| Anna-Maija Kuitunen lwsdm Marko Home WeeGee Exhibition Center Website WeeGee Futuro FaceBook Page World Design Capital \| Helsinki 2012 \| Futuro 2012 Program In Print - Books & Magazines Apu \| #38 20 September 1968 Issue \| Pages 42-45 Architecture; Drafting & Design \| Page 496 Curve \| Issue 40 2012 \| Pages 16-17 Decorative Art 70's \| Cover Design From Scandinavia \| Issue 3 1970 \| Pages 6-7 Hobby: Das Magazin der Technik \| 122370 Issue \| Pages 80-81 Muovikirja \| Page 144-145 Popular Science Magazine \| March 1970 Issue \| Page 90 The Plastics Architect \| Page 121 The Visual Dialogue \| Page 268 Voima \| June/August 2012 Issue \| Page 53 Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use? I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me. As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both.

Ahertajantie 5, 02100 Espoo, Finland \| 60°10'44.12"N 24°47'39.98"E
Featured Image By lwsdm \| CC 2.0 \| Image Date 061212		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 070512
		View Larger Map
Additional Images & Video		Notes, History & Resources
Update 091612 And the great photography in Espoo continues unabated! Marko Saari held a photo shoot at the WeeGee Futuro 070212. The photos feature superb photography by Marko, the Futuro and beautiful model Mona. Two of these great photographs are displayed below with Marko's permission and you can check out the full set here. In addition a video below was made during the shoot; it provides an interesting insight into the shoot itself and also features some cool footage of the Futuro. You can check out a hi-res version of the video on Vimeo here. © Marko Saari \| From The Photo Set Futuro © Marko Saari \| From The Photo Set Futuro Update 090812 With this Futuro being on display and open to the public there are many many photographs around the web and I had not intended to add any more but then I saw an awesome set on Flickr by Christophe Brutel taken 090212. With Christophe's permission some of these are shown below but make sure to follow the link and check out the whole set. There are some cool interior shots and I particularly like the photos taken using the spherical filter [my description - I am sure there is a correct technical name for that type of filter but not being a photographer I have no idea what it is]. The first photo is probably my favorite Futuro photo. Update 080212 aboturku posted this great video of the WeeGee Futuro which showcases some of the photographs and other items accompanying the exhibit and features great footage of both the exterior and interior of the Futuro. The set of eight images below shows the Futuro as it goes through the reconstruction and refurbishment process. These pictures are reproduced here with the kind permission of Marko Home, the Producer of the WeeGee Futuro Exhibtion and editor of the definitive Futuro Book "Futuro". You can find the original posting of these images by Marko on the WeeGee Futuro House Facebook Page where you will also find some commentary to go along with the images. Above images © Marko Home reproduced with permission. Thank you Marko. Another really cool photo of the Futuro reflected in the windows of the Exhibition Center was taken by Cidoc12 Helsinki on 050812. While similar in many ways to the featured image above this photo is equally impressive and offers a slightly different perspective on the subject. This image is displayed with permission. Update 080112 Among the many visitors to the exhibition in Espoo has been lwsdm who visited on 061212 and took this marvellous set of photos reproduced here under CC 2.0. There are some great shots of the interior and I particularly like the featured photo above showing the Futuro as a reflection in the exhibition center windows. Update 071712 \| Now Located In Espoo Lewis Martin has posted this great photo of the fully restored Futuro [now in Espoo] on Flickr under a Creative Commons 2.0 License - thanks for publishing your work under CC Lewis. Original Information 110111 \| Located In Hirvensalmi At That Time This image of the Futuro in Hirvensalmi is from the document "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" which was written by Anna-Maija Kuitunen as her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. This thesis is freely available online here.		Update 061613 The Futuro is now open to the public again and will be so from 051413 through 090113 [WeeGee Exhibition Center website]. Update 100812 So, if you were planning on visiting the Futuro at the WeeGee Exhibition Center, I have some bad news for you; as of 091612 the exhibit is no longer open to the public. The good news; Marko Home has confirmed that the Futuro will remain at the center and the plan is to open it to the public again in summer 2013 [thanks for the update Marko]. Update 080112 One of the pages on the World Design Capital \| Helsinki 2012 Website discusses the Futuro 2012 Program in Espoo. There are some great photos of the Futuro there taken during transport and reconstruction. As well as having the Futuro on display to the public through 091612 there will be screenings of Mike Taanila's 1998 film "Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow a small exhibition featuring the utopian world of Futuro and speeches by Futuro experts. If you are anywhere close make sure to stop by; I am sure it will be well worth it. Update 071712 \| Now Located In Espoo Futuro 001 was purchased by the City of Espoo, Finland and it has now been restored and is on display at the WeeGee Exhibition Center. A press release originally dated 041111 can be found here. The WeeGee website indicates that the restored Futuro will be open to the public 050812 through 091612. Running in tandem will be screenings of Mika Taanila's film "Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow" along with Group Tours and talks by Futuro experts. Further details can be found on the WeeGee site here. Futuro 001 will then stay on site and will be open to the public again in the summer of 2013. There are some great photographs of the Futuro on the WeeGee Futuro House Facebook Page and in particlular there are some great shots of the Futuro in various stages of construction. The WeeGee Exposition Center is located at Ahertajantie 5, 02100 Espoo, Finland; I have not added any maps at this time since I can find no imagery recent enough to show the Futuro on site. The purchase and subsequent restoration of Futuro 001 prompted a 051012 article by Justin McGuirk title "Futuro - the ideal home that wasn't" in the British national daily newspaper The Guardian which can be found here. Original Information 110111 \| Located In Hirvensalmi At That Time Futuro 001 has been owned by TV celebrity Matti Kuusla since its manufacture. It is worth noting that despite the 001 numbering this was not the first Futuro manufactured - the prototype was numbered 000 and that Futuro has been fully restored and is on display at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Futuro has spent its life on a lakeside property in Hirvensalmi where, mainly because it has never had an electrical supply, it has been only used in a very limited way. The Futuro is not in the best condition and it was this that prompted Anna-Maija Kuitunen's to write her thesis which was largely about the current condition of Futuro 001 and the process that might be used to restore and preserve it as an iconic piece of Finnish architecture. The thesis "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" was written by Kuitunen as her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. This thesis is freely available online here. Sources & Reference: aboturku Futuro - the ideal home that wasn't \| Justin McGuirk Futuro no. 001 ... \| Anna-Maija Kuitunen lwsdm Marko Home WeeGee Exhibition Center Website WeeGee Futuro FaceBook Page World Design Capital \| Helsinki 2012 \| Futuro 2012 Program In Print - Books & Magazines Apu \| #38 20 September 1968 Issue \| Pages 42-45 Architecture; Drafting & Design \| Page 496 Curve \| Issue 40 2012 \| Pages 16-17 Decorative Art 70's \| Cover Design From Scandinavia \| Issue 3 1970 \| Pages 6-7 Hobby: Das Magazin der Technik \| 122370 Issue \| Pages 80-81 Muovikirja \| Page 144-145 Popular Science Magazine \| March 1970 Issue \| Page 90 The Plastics Architect \| Page 121 The Visual Dialogue \| Page 268 Voima \| June/August 2012 Issue \| Page 53 Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use? I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me. As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both.