By Marko Home & Mika Taanila

FROM SNOWY SLOPES TO THE FOOT OF MINARETS
The Futuro´s journey from Finnish ski cabin to international art icon

The Futuro had its inception as an ordinary architectural commission. In 1965,
Dr Jaakko Hiidenkari asked his former schoolmate, Matti Suuronen (b. 1933), to
design a ski cabin that would be "quick to heat and easy to construct in rough terrain".
The project´s working title was 'After-ski cabin'. After a round of competitive tendering,
the contract for its construction was awarded to Polykem Ltd., a company (founded 1954)
specialising in the manufacture of plastic roof domes and neon signs. 1)

The chosen material – fibreglass-reinforced polyester plastic – was already familiar
to Suuronen after his having designed a large plastic dome eight metres in diameter
for the roof of a grain silo in Seinäjoki. The design of the Futuro was the outcome of
an extensive R&D project aimed at producing a functionally and technically efficient
house-type with good prospects for mass production. With Suuronen as chief architect,
the R&D team consisted of the structural engineer Yrjö Ronkka, technicians
C. J. Olander and Heikki Tikkanen, Suuronen´s assistant Hannu Laitinen, project
supervisor Peter Stude and production engineer Sven Lindfors. The project´s financing
was arranged by Polykem´s Managing Director, Ensio Söderström. Initially the team
conceived the building as an acrylic dome resting on concrete pillars, roughly
emulating the design of existing standardised plastic roof domes. This solution
proved to have certain flaws, however: Exposure to strong sunlight caused
overheating and excessive thermal expansion, which the R&D team strove to
mitigate by adding a sunscreen. In the next stage the team tested various
'igloo-type' constructions of acrylic, PVC and fibreglass-reinforced polyester
plastic, all potentially suited to serialised industrial production. 2)

The design finally evolved into an ellipsoid shell construction of fibreglass sandwich
elements insulated with polyurethane foam, the curvature of the exterior being
reiterated in ellipse-shaped details such as the acrylic windows, the door handles,
light fittings and power sockets. As the crowning touch, the shell stood on a steel
foundation ring perched on four legs. "First came the egg, then came the egg-cup,"
quipped Suuronen. 3) In geometrical terms, the house is what is called a rotating
ellipsoid, or spheroid, its key ratios represented by ¼ (the constant ratio between
the circumference to the diameter of a circle being approximately 3.14). Indeed
Suuronen often emphasised that the design was based on "pure mathematics". 4)
Despite its numerical inspiration, the prototype was assembled on the basis of
rough sketches rather than detailed construction drawings, none yet being
available at this stage. "Suuronen would drop by at the plant and give us
instructionsŠ Take away a bit here, add a bit there..." recalls the project supervisor,
Peter Stude. 5)

The yet nameless, unfurnished white prototype (no. 000) was unveiled to the press
at Polykem´s Hiekkaharju plant at the end of March 1968. 6) From there it was
transported to a ski slope on a property owned by Jaakko Hiidenkari in Turenki,
near Kalpalinna, in June 1968. The prototype measured eight metres in diameter,
four metres in height, 140 m2 in cubic capacity, 50 m2 in lot area, 25 m2 in floor
area, 2 500 kg in weight without furnishings, and about 4 000 kg in total weight.
The standard interior fittings consisted of six special bed-chair combinations
(serving as seats by day and beds by night), a double-bed recess, a combined
fireplace and slab that also served as a grill, a kitchenette, and a bathroom with
toilet. Thanks to the efficient polyurethane insulation and electric heating system,
the house could be heated to a comfortable temperature in only thirty minutes,
even in chilly climes. The moulded access door was like that of a jet plane: when
pulled down, it served as the front steps. The early versions of the cabin came in
white, yellow and light blue. To facilitate transportation, the house consisted of
16 elements that were bolted together to form the floor and roof. In good conditions,
the house could be dismantled and reassembled in two days, or airlifted in one piece
by helicopter. 7)

Cabin no. 001 was made soon thereafter in the same mould as the prototype, in
a shade of bright yellow. As a PR gimmick, Lomanotko Ltd. (the company hired to
handle the cabin´s marketing) offered a special deal on the cabin and a sizeable
lakeside property in Hirvensalmi (Pääskyniemi) to Matti Kuusla, a TV celebrity.
According to Kuusla, it was thanks to Lomanotko´s marketing savvy that the local
authorities so readily granted a permit to build the bright yellow "bubble house² in
the midst of an idyllic lakeside setting. After a long business lunch, the marketing
team took the local governor to the envisaged site of Kuusla´s cabin, where they
spun visions of how it would spur the rise of a thriving new community complete
with dance halls and children´s playgrounds.

Kuusla´s cabin naturally aroused much curiosity among local vacationers,
and people came from far and wide to see the "house from outer space". Standing
out for miles as it did on Lake Puulavesi, it was certainly easy enough to spot by
boat. The weekly magazine Apu ran a cover story on Kuusla´s "outer-space villa"
in September 1968, unflatteringly headlined "Matti Scrambles the Landscape". 8)
In Kuusla´s opinion, the "bubble house" was simply ahead of its time, and the hostile
response of the public was symptomatic of Finnish conservatism: "I was amused by
the outcry – I even heard that the local residents were plotting to blow it up with
dynamite..." 9) As it turned out, Kuusla´s "bubble house" was never fully completed:
it was never electrified, and nothing ever became of the dynamic new community
that was supposed to spring up around it.

Suuronen´s creation was first dubbed 'Futuro' when house no. 002 was shown at
the Finnfocus export fair in London in October 1968. 10) Installed aboard the
Finn-Partner ferry on the Thames, the exhibition was intended to showcase Finnish
expertise in various fields of commercial endeavour, featuring innovative designs by
Marimekko and even Eero Aarnio´s Globe chair. Most of the exhibits were of a decidedly
more mundane character, however: raincoats, fishing lures and the like. Polykem, too,
set off for London with the primary intent of advertising its neon signs. 11)
The eye-catching holiday cabin installed on the deck of the ferry both amused and
fascinated British crowds. The Daily Mirror reviewed the show, expressing appreciation
of the exhibitors' good sense of humour: "This object, looking like everyone else´s idea
of a flying saucer from outer Space, is the Finnish idea of a perfect weekend cottage". 12)

After London, the Futuro began to arouse widespread interest internationally, and only
then did Polykem decide to launch serial production. 13) During the following months,
Polykem received over 400 inquiries from foreign companies interested in securing
manufacturing rights. The Managing Director Ensio Söderström entered negotiations
with the potential partners he deemed most suitable. 14)

The Futuro received ample publicity in its homeland, too. Avotakka (an interior
decorating magazine) gave it cheerful reviews in articles entitled 'Home from Another Planet'
and 'Futuro – Holiday Home of the Future'. 15) Tekniikan Maailma ('World of Technology')
praised the Futuro as a bold and promising departure from run-of-the-mill housing design. 16)
In 1969 the Futuro was displayed at the Stockmann Department Store (May 6–June 4),
where over 50,000 visitors flocked to see it. 17) It also attracted throngs of visitors at
the Tampere Fair (July 4–14, 1969), including the former U.S. Vice President Hubert
Humphrey. Aamulehti (Tampere´s local newspaper) described the Futuro as "the hit of the
fair", attracting "a long queue of inquisitive visitors, whose indignation, awe and astonishment
are both visible and audible". 18)

Suuronen´s design met with indignation not only from the public, but also from his
colleagues. One was Reijo Jallinoja, who lashed out at the Futuro in an opinion column
published in Helsingin Sanomat in August 1969, entitled 'The Futuro – Much Ado
About Nothing'. Jallinoja complained that the Futuro was exorbitantly expensive in
view of its cramped floor space. Added to that, it lacked a terrace, "an essential
element in any holiday cabin". He also pointed out that the Futuro´s "relationship with
the surrounding natural environment is fraught with tension". Jallinoja dismissed the
Futuro as "a trifle", adding: "The only possible explanation for its success is its unusual
appearance, which might perhaps satisfy the eccentric quirks of a small handful of buyers". 19) )

Criticism aside, the Futuro continued to arouse widespread international interest.
In July 1969, the New York Museum of Modern Art´s Department of Architecture
and Design requested photographs of the Futuro for its collection. 20) In October 1969,
Suuronen accompanied the Futuro to the UIA World Congress (Union Internationale
des Architectes) in Buenos Aires. After the congress, the Futuro remained in Buenos
Aires as part of the Exposición Internacional del Confort Humano exhibition
(October 24–November 16, 1969). 21)

Capitalising on the Futuro´s international exposure, Polykem Ltd. soon launched
a whole series of plastic buildings designed by Suuronen. The Casa Finlandia series
included the CF-100/200 service station (1969), the CF-10 kiosk (1970) and
the CF-45 residential/commercial building, better known as the Venturo (1971). 22)
All the buildings in the Casa Finlandia series were designed to be durable and
convenient to mass-produce, transport and assemble. The numerical suffix in
each building´s name indicates its floor area in square metres. Polykem strove to
sharpen the international profile of the Casa Finlandia series by publishing stylish
4-colour brochures complete with vivid product descriptions and catchy slogans.
One brochure boasted that the Futuro was "designed and engineered for optimum
durability, maximum efficiency in both design and production, and beauty of form." 23)

Futuro Corporation was founded in 1969 by the Philadelphian businessman Leonard
Fruchter for the express purpose of marketing the Futuro in the United States. Fruchter
noted the rapidly expanding market for second homes in the U.S., and believed
there would be ample buyers for products like the Futuro, which indeed received
a gratifying amount of positive coverage in the American press. The New York
Times published an article about the Futuro – ´saucer-Shaped House Arrives on
Earth' – on July 20, 1969, the same day as Apollo 11 landed on the moon. American
Home and Playboy also published eye-catching articles about the saucer-shaped house. 24)

In May 1970, The Kansas City Star ran a story on the Dixon Inn hotel´s plans to
construct four Futuros on its roof: One was to serve as a 'VIP Outer Orbit suite' and
the other three were to be joined together to serve as a bar, dance floor and lounge. 25)
Few such projects actually materialised, but the Futuro did serve as "a space-age bank²
in the parking lot of the Woodbridge shopping mall in New Jersey, and as a recruiting
office for the U.S. Air Force outside the Escondido shopping complex in California. 26)
In 1972, Futuro Corporation was merged with another of Fruchter´s enterprises,
Casa 2 Corporation, which secured manufacturing rights for three other plastic
buildings in the Casa Finlandia series. After the merger, Casa 2 Corporation handled
the U.S. marketing of the Venturo, the CF-100/200 service stations, the CF-10 kiosk
and also that of the Futuro. When it became patently obvious that commercial success
was to elude the Futuro, Casa 2 Corporation pinned its hopes on the Venturo instead.
In 1974, the company announced that over 90 per cent of its marketing efforts would
henceforth be focused on the Venturo. 27)

The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter ran a front-page story describing how on
October 22, 1969 the Futuro was airlifted across Stockholm by a helicopter belonging
to the Swedish Air Force. The 90 km flight from Råsunda to Älvsjö went off without
a hitch, but the drop-off took place at the wrong site – a crane was needed to
relocate the house to the correct location. 28) Between 1969 and 1971,
the Swedish Air Force purchased three Futuros to serve as lookout towers at
a firing practice area near Gävle, all of which were pre-assembled and airlifted
onto concrete pillars. Their design differed slightly from that of the standard Futuro:
the exit and fire safety features were improved, and they also had larger, reinforced
windows. "Back then, the Swedish air force enjoyed a generous budget, and no
expense was spared on comforts like heating and air conditioning. Before
the Futuros were installed, the lookout tower consisted of a crude two-by-two
metre open platform," recalls the project supervisor Peter Stude. 29)

The Futuro also made an appearance at IKA '71 (August 1–September 31, 1971),
an event billed as "the world´s first international plastic housing exhibition".
Held in Lüdenscheid, the hub of the German plastic industry, IKA '71 was
designed to promote recognition of plastic construction and to convince
the public that plastic houses were the way of the future. The exhibition featured
thirteen different plastic houses, including "the world´s first floating house",
Bio-Dom, as well as ready-to-assemble "machines for living" and DIY plastic
dwellings. Plastic homes were advertised as a modern, affordable form of housing
that is easy to assemble and convenient to transport – ideally suited to
price-conscious individualists with a desire to stand out in a crowd.
The German plastics magazine Kunstoffe proclaimed IKA '71 a disappointment
– it merely confirmed that plastic is suitable only for holiday homes, not for
large-scale housing construction. The editors noted that the Futuro was
a pleasing exception, its sinuous interiors elegantly designed to match
the curvature of the building. 30)

Despite the national and international interest aroused by the Futuro, it was
destined to remain a commercial flop – too quirky and expensive for the mass
market. Added to this, Polykem Ltd. lacked the experience and resources
for the world-scale launch of a unique product like the Futuro. 31) "I have to
admit that we knew very little about the export business. Perhaps we should
have added an extra zero to the figure we negotiated for manufacturing rights,"
says Heikki Tikkanen, a sales technician involved in selling the Futuro´s
manufacturing licences. 32) In any case, the Futuro´s marketing campaign
met an unsurmountable obstacle in the form of the oil crisis of 1973, which
tripled the price of plastic. 33)

With western export prospects dampened by the oil crisis, Polykem decided
to focus its marketing efforts on the Soviet Union instead. In 1972, the Soviet
authorities ordered five plastic CF-200 service stations for highways between
Moscow and Minsk, and expressed an interest in buying other plastic buildings
as well. 34) Polykem´s Product Manager Pentti Podschivalow vividly recalls
the tone of the negotiations: "The Soviets were tireless hagglers. They insisted
that a building should cost no more than a given sum per resident, so we proposed
to add extra beds as a compromise. The bargaining went on for hours on end.
By evening I was so exhausted that I flashed them a picture of the Futuro and
said 'only Rockefellers can afford a beauty like this' and snapped shut my briefcase.
Sputnik´s representative then hastened to assure me that they could afford it,
too – and that´s how we finally clinched the deal in Russia." 35) )

The Soviet Union ordered three Futuros in 1976–1977. The Soviet youth
travel agency Sputnik purchased one to serve as a ski cabin at an altitude
of 2,500 metres in the Dombay Mountains, another to serve as a holiday
bungalow in Sochi, and a two-storey variant to serve as a café in the Crimea. 36)
The Soviet Union was then preparing for the Moscow Olympics of 1980 and
needed new service stations, kiosks, motels and various other buildings, for
which detailed negotiations were initiated also with Polykem. 37) Polykem was
provisionally contracted to supply Intourist and Sputnik with 35 Futuros
for holiday resorts and sports centres, 10–25 two-storey cafés, 40 Venturos
and 40 CF-10 kiosks. 38) Sputnik additionally planned to order various other
buildings for the Olympic Village: CF-200s to serve as cafés and restaurants,
and a number of Venturos as athletes' accommodation. The buildings were to
be delivered as a turnkey contract by May 1980. 39)

Cold War politics intervened, however. In December 1979, Soviet troops
invaded Afghanistan, and the Olympics were boycotted by the United States,
Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany and several other western powers.
In all, about fifty countries joined the boycott, and the Soviet Union lost
a large portion of the foreign currency it would otherwise have raised.
Intourist and Sputnik decided that Polykem´s Casa Finlandia buildings
were too expensive after all, and cancelled their orders. 40)

Mainitut tilaukset eivät kuitenkaan toteutuneet, sillä kylmän sodan politiikka
puuttui peliin. Joulukuussa 1979 neuvostoliittolaiset joukot tunkeutuivat
Afganistaniin, minkä vuoksi sellaiset keskeiset länsimaat kuin Yhdysvallat,
Japani ja Saksan liittotasavalta päättivät boikotoida Moskovan olympialaisia.
Kaiken kaikkiaan Moskovan vuoden 1980 olympialaisista jäi pois
viitisenkymmentä maata ja Neuvostoliitto menetti osan kisojen valuuttatuloista.
Intourist ja Sputnik alkoivat pitää Polykemin Casa Finlandia -rakennuksia
liian kalliina ja peruivat suunnitellut tilaukset. 40)

Between 1968 and 1978, a total of 20 Futuros were manufactured in Finland,
twelve of which were supplied directly to foreign buyers. Manufacturing
licences were sold in 25 countries between 1969 and 1973. According to
a Polykem memo dated January 1, 1973, licences were sold in the following
countries in addition to Finland: Canada, the United States, Argentina, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany,
the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Monaco, France, Switzerland, Austria,
Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Japan, Iran, Lebanon, Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa.41) Licensed production was launched in only about ten
of these countries, however. 42) Regrettably, there is no surviving record
of production volumes per country. Our conservative estimate is that
the total number of Futuros produced to date around the world is roughly sixty.

In the mid-1970s, the prototype (no. 000) was moved from its original location
at Jaakko Hiidenkari´s ski retreat in Turenki to Matti Suuronen´s holiday
house in Keitele, and a few years later to a shed on Metsänkylä estate near
Hämeenlinna. Today it is in the collection of the Utrecht Centraal Museum
in the Netherlands.

The Futuro that is perhaps best known in Finland previously served as
a Shell diner (1969–1982) on Lake Lahnajärvi halfway between Helsinki
and Turku – as it happens, this was the same Futuro (no. 002) that
attracted such great international interest at the Finnfocus export fair
in London in October 1968. Suuronen complained that the banal café
furniture, the crowded location and the flat terrain of Lahnajärvi failed
to do justice to the design, and ruined the Futuro´s reputation. 43)
This yellow Futuro of Lahnajärvi later served as a café at Lieto Zoolandia,
and eventually ended up on a highway in Pärnu, Estonia, where it became
the landmark of the Halinga café and shopping centre. It has since been
dismantled and is currently awaiting restoration in a warehouse in Estonia.

There are at least four surviving Futuros in Finland. Matti Kuusla´s yellow
Futuro no. 001 is still in its original location in Hirvensalmi. The white Futuro
(no. 015) previously owned by the Turku Student Union has a new owner
and occupies a scenic seaside location in the west Finnish archipelago
(Merimasku). Another Futuro – painted brown to blend with the landscape
– can be found in the Åland Islands, where it is still used as a fishing hut
by its original owners. The white Futuro that previous served as
a 'UFO café' in Luumäki has been restored and painted light blue by
a private collector in Kauhava.

In addition to the above six houses, we have managed to track down
another 24 Futuros around the world. One that was originally constructed
in Finland (no. 13) can now be found at the Spreewald Amusement Park
in what was formerly East Berlin. Two can be found in Japan, both of which
were originally located in Karuizawa. In 2001, one of them was purchased,
restored and placed on display in Tokyo by the editors of the Japanese
design magazine Casa Brutus. It has since been entrusted to the Felica
Design School in Maebashi. There are at least four surviving Futuros
in the United States: one in San Diego, California, the other three in
Texas – one in Quinlan and two in Rockwall County. Five can be found
in Australia: three in active use in Melbourne, one as a holiday home
in Cape Jervis, and one in Canberra as a part of a Planetarium.
Surprisingly, New Zealand has the largest number of surviving Futuros:
as many as seven on the North Island and five on the South Island.
Presumably there are also others that have yet to be unearthed.

The Futuro began its new life as an art icon in the summer of 1990, when
the German curator Nobert Weber organised an extensive outdoor exhibition
called Radar in the east Finnish town of Kotka (June 28–September 2, 1990),
featuring works by 16 artists from the Baltic region. One of them was
the Helsinki artist Jussi Kivi, who exhibited an installation entitled
The Eagle Has Landed – Unidentified Flying Object – An Exhibition About UFOs. 44)
The installation was intended to be an informative presentation on UFOs
rather than a conventional work of art. 45) It consisted of two lorry containers
parked beside Kotka Town Hall, featuring a collection of pictures, texts and
objects on the theme of UFOs. Alongside the containers stood the Futuro
– the original prototype, in fact, which Kivi had rented from Matti Suuronen.
For a small admission fee, visitors were invited to step inside the Futuro
to view a twin-screen multi-vision presentation about UFOs produced by
Ilpo Okkonen, featuring cosmic images projected alongside text messages
from 'aliens'. A group of UFO enthusiasts took part in designing and assembling
the work under the supervision of the architect Tapani Koivula. According to
Kivi, The Eagle Has Landed was a letdown in many respects; the installation
was not completed in time for the opening, the cost was way over budget,
and the public showed less interest than expected. 46)

The German artist and biologist Carsten Höller was among the other exhibitors
in Kotka. Evidently the Futuro made quite an impression on him, for in May
1996 he borrowed the same prototype for the Skop exhibition at the Vienna
Secession (May 10–July 7, 1996). Like Kivi, he used the Futuro as a ready-made,
combining it with other surprising elements – in this case, lamps, plants and
other objects associated with solar energy. The Skop exhibition was widely
publicised, and it was through this chain of coincidence that the prototype
ended up in Utrecht´s Centraal Museum. Jussi Kivi introduced the Futuro
to the arena of contemporary art, but it was thanks to Carsten Höller and
the Skop exhibition that it ended up touring European museums and exhibitions
as a work of art. .

The Futuro´s transformation from utility building to art icon culminated at
the 7th International Istanbul Biennial (September 22–November 17, 2001).
The Japanese curator, Yuko Hasegawa, chose to exhibit both the Futuro itself
and the film Futuro – A New Stance for Tomorrow (1998). 47) The building was
set up in the gardens of the Ottoman Mint at Topkapi Palace. The visitors at
the biennial didn't complain that the Futuro ´scrambled the landscape' in this
historic meeting-place of cultures, but serenely accepted its presence both
as a work of art and as a self-legitimated part of our recent cultural history.

Contemporary art is usually seen as consisting of an experiential process
rather than being confined to any individual object – and indeed the Futuro´s
journey from Finnish ski cabin to international art icon has been an amazing
process if ever there was one.

1) Interview with the architect, Matti Suuronen, 11.3.1998; 'Lyhyt katsaus yhtiön toimintaan',
Polykem Ltd. memo dated 1.3.1978, Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture;
Esko J. Mannermaa, 'Avaruusajan asumistyyliä maailmanmarkkinoille',
Talouselämä, 14.8.1969, 766–767.
2) Yrjö Ronkka, 'Lomamaja lasikuidusta', Rakennustaito, no. 12/1968, 446–447;
Matti Suuronen, 'Futuro-muodon synty', Polykem Ltd. memo 2.5.1969, Archives of
the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
3) Interview with Matti Suuronen 11.3.1998.
4) Interview with Matti Suuronen 11.3.1998.
5) Interview with Polykem´s project supervisor, Peter Stude, 13.3.1998.
According to Stude, detailed plans were drawn up on the basis of ready moulds,
after exports were launched.
6) 'Avaruusaluksen muotoinen loma-asunto lasikuidusta', Helsingin Sanomat, 31.3.1968;
'Avaruusajan kesämaja', Uusi Suomi, 31.3.1968.
7) Yrjö Ronkka, 'Lomamaja lasikuidusta', Rakennustaito, no. 12/1968, 446–447;
Sinikka Salokorpi, C. G. Hagström & Matti Laitinen, 'Futuro – tulevaisuuden lomakoti',
Avotakka, no. 5/1969, 4–7 and 28–29.
8) Mauri Sainio & Matti Laitinen, 'Matti munaa maisemaa', Apu no. 38, 20.9.1968, 42–45.
9) Interview with Matti Kuusla, 12.3.1998.
10) Interview with Matti Suuronen 11.3.1998.
11) Pirkko Ilmola-Ward, 'Finnfocus Lontoossa. Suomalaisten vaatteiden kauppa lähtenyt
käyntiin', Uusi Suomi, 10.10.1968, 12; Esko J. Mannermaa, 'Avaruusajan asumistyyliä
maailmanmarkkinoille', Talouselämä, 14.8.1969, 766–767.
12) 'Now, an Englishman´s home may be his flying saucer', Daily Mirror, October 8, 1968.
13) Interview with Matti Suuronen, 11.3.1998. According to Suuronen, the building
was not originally intended for serial production. The decision was spurred by
the unexpected amount of international interest it aroused.
14) Interview with Polykem´s Managing Director, Ensio Söderström, 14.3.1998.
15) Sinikka Salokorpi & Seppo Saves, 'Talo toiselta planeetalta', Avotakka, no. 5/1968, 44–48 ;
Sinikka Salokorpi, C. G. Hagström & Matti Laitinen, 'Futuro – tulevaisuuden lomakoti',
Avotakka, no. 5/1969, 4–7 and 28–29.
16) Juhani Kirkkomäki, 'Asuntotuotanto kuplii', Tekniikan Maailma, no. 9/1968, 58–63.
17) Oy Stockmann Ab:´s personnel magazine, MeVi, no. 3/1969.
18) 'Futuro ensi kertaa kotimaan messuilla', Aamulehti, 13.7.1969.
19) Reijo Jallinoja, 'Futuroa on kehuttu liikaa', Helsingin Sanomat, 24.8.1969.
20) Letter to Matti Suuronen dated 28.7.1969 from Henry Ottmann, Research Assistant,
Department of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art, Archives of the Museum
of Finnish Architecture. MOMA´s Department of Architecture and Design later also
requested photographs of the Venturo. Both the Futuro and the Venturo were to be
included in an exhibition opened at MOMA in January 1979, 'Transformations in Modern
Architecture'. (Letter to Matti Suuronen dated 12.5.1978 from Mary Jane Lightbown,
Research Associate, Department of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art,
Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture.)
21) 'Futuro ensi kertaa kotimaan messuilla', Aamulehti, 13.7.1969; Advertisement
for the Exposición Internacional del Confort Humano exibition, Archives of the Museum
of Finnish Architecture.
22) Matti Suuronen´s curriculum vitae and list of works, 1983, 18–25, Archives
of the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
23) Polykem´s Casa Finlandia brochures, Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
24) ´saucer-Shaped House Arrives on Earth', The New York Times, July 20, 1969;
'Lunar Capsule for Earthbound Fun', American Home, September, 1969;
'Portable Playhouse', Playboy, September, 1970.
25) Joe Roberts, 'Unique Eighth Floor For Downtown Hotel', The Kansas City Star, May 31, 1970.
26) 'Avaruusajan pankki', Kauppalehti, 27.6.1972; 'Futuristic Recruiting Office?',
The Air Force Recruiter, April 15, 1973. The "world´s first space-age bank" was airlifted
to the Woodbridge shopping mall´s parking lot by helicopter, 2.6.1972. (City Federal Savings
and Loan Association, Statement of Condition, June 30, 1972, Archives of the Museum
of Finnish Architecture.)
27) Business Plan Casa 2 Corporation, 1974, Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
28) 'Huset i luften', Dagens Nyheter, 23 October, 1969, 1; Fred Bremberg, 'Villa med tjugo
fönster tog flyget till nya tomten², Dagens Nyheter, 23 October, 1969, 33.
29) Interview with Peter Stude, 13.3.1998.
30) A. Schwabe, 'IKA '71: Internationale Kunststoffhaus-Austellung in Lüdensheid,
Kunstoffe – Plastics', 12/1971, 497–500.
31) Notes made by Ensio Söderstöm, Självbiografiska anteckningar av Ensio Söderström,
104–106, copies currently in possession of the authors of this article. In 1968 the Futuro´s
retail price in Finland was 62,500 Finnish marks, corresponding to 74,370 euros in 2002.
32) Interview with Polykem´s sales technician, Heikki Tikkanen, 11.3.1998.
33) Interview with Matti Suuronen, 11.3.1998; Interview with Peter Stude, 13.3.1998.
34) Matti Suuronen´s curriculum vitae and list of works, 1983, 21, Archives of the Museum
of Finnish Architecture; Notes made by Ensio Söderström, 119. The CF-200 service
stations ordered by the Soviet Union in 1972 were manufactured at Polykem´s plant,
supplied in parts in 1973, and assembled in 1974 in Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Borisov
and Smolensk. Two Venturos and two CF-10 kiosks were also shipped to the Soviet Union.
35) Interview with Polykem´s product manager, Pentti Podschivalow, 13.3.1998.
36) Matti Suuronen´s curriculum vitae and list of works, 1983, 19; ´selvitys Neuvostoliittoon
kohdistuvan vientimme tilasta', Polykem Ltd. memo, 26.4.1977, Archives of the Museum
of Finnish Architecture. According to Suuronen´s CV, the Dombay Futuro was ordered by
Intourist, but Pentti Podschivalow, who handled Polykem´s Soviet exports, recalls "beyond
a shadow of a doubt" that it was ordered by Sputnik (telephone conversation with Pentti
Podschivalow, 15.4.2002).
37) Interview with Pentti Podschivalow, 13.3.1998; Notes made by Ensio Söderstöm, 119.
38) ´selvitys Neuvostoliittoon kohdistuvan vientimme tilasta', Polykem Ltd. memo 26.4.1977,
Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
39) Notes made by Ensio Söderström, 120–121.
40) Notes made by Ensio Söderström, 124.
41) Matti Suuronen´s curriculum vitae and list of works, 1983, 19; Polykem Ltd. memo 1.1.1973,
Archives of the Museum of Finnish Architecture. According to certain sources, manufacturing
licences were sold in as many as 50 countries – hypothetically. For instance the Belgian
company International Promoting Co. secured manufacturing licences 'just in case' for all
African countries except for South Africa. The only African country where the Futuro was actually
marketed and produced is South Africa, where manufacturing licences were owned by a locally
based company called Futuro Enterprises Ltd. Leonard Fruchter´s American-based companies
Futuro Corporation and Casa 2 Corporation secured licenses not only for the United States,
but also for Central America, the Caribbean and Israel, but, as far as we know, moves to launch
production were made only in the United States.
42) Notes made by Ensio Söderstöm, 104–106.
43) Interview with Matti Suuronen, 11.3.1998.
44) Interview with Jussi Kivi, 15.3.2002. The catalogue of the Radar exhibition wrongly gives
the title of the work as 'UFO'. The error may have resulted from the theme of the work, or possibly
from the fact that in 1990 the Futuro was still widely referred to as a "UFO house".
45) Interview with Jussi Kivi, 15.3.2002. In 1998, Kivi staged a similar exhibition at
the 'Old Student House' gallery in Helsinki. The Futuro also made an appearance at this exhibition,
but only in a minor supporting role: as enlarged photographs of the scale models. The exhibition
attracted the biggest turnout ever seen by the gallery, and was later also shown at the Rovaniemi
City Library.
46) Interview with Jussi Kivi, 15.3.2002.
47) The process of finding and transporting the Futuro to Istanbul was a complex operation.
A suitable building (which once served as a café in Luumäki) was found – dismantled and in
a poor state of repair – in the yard of a Vääksy-based company. Trucking the building across
Europe took longer than expected, and again the Futuro missed the opening. The newly repaired
building was opened to the public a week after the opening. After the biennial, a private collector
in Kauhava purchased this Futuro.