Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Rare, Flying Saucer–Shaped Futuro Home Touches Down in England

A Rare, Flying Saucer–Shaped Futuro Home Touches Down in England

One of fewer than 100 ever manufactured, the Space Age prefab offers guests an out-of-this-world stay in Somerset’s Marston Park.

In 1965, Finnish designer Matti Suuronen set out to design an après-ski cabin that would be efficient to heat and easy to transport, giving rise to the Futuro home-truly a product of the Space Age with its sleek, UFO-like shape. Made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic to reduce weight, the modular panels were meant to be bolted together on site, and the structure’s metal legs could be adapted for different topographies. Though marketed as a prefabricated tiny home suitable for the masses, fewer than 100 Futuro pods were made, with an estimated 60 still in existence.



Originally conceived by Finnish designer Matti Suuronen as a portable ski cabin, the spaceship-like Futuro was later marketed as a prefabricated tiny home able to be placed virtually anywhere. Today, there are some 60 Futuros left in existence, and opportunities to stay in one are rare.

One Futuro house, however, has just touched down on the banks of a lake in Marston Park, a Victorian estate in Somerset, England. It was recently restored by artist and owner Craig Barnes, who discovered the derelict specimen in South Africa.
"Workers were knocking down a building nearby and we thought they were going to tear it down too," says Craig. "It was a wreck: There was no front door left, and the windows had been smashed in. We found out who owned it, and on an impulse while on top of Table Mountain, we agreed to buy it."



Suuronen envisioned the unit as the cutting-edge evolution of the Nordic cabin, crafting it with sleek, rounded curves.

Since undergoing the restoration, the turquoise Futuro has popped up all over London, including a stint on the rooftop of the city’s Central Saint Martins, an art school. During its stay, it caught the attention of Michael Fenna, the director of Marston Park. "I first saw it and thought, This has to come here!" he remembers.



On a trip to visit his childhood neighborhood in Port Alfred, South Africa, artist Craig Barnes-now based in London-spotted this Futuro home, which was in dire need of repair. "It was horrible and grotty," says Craig.

After a long process of coordinating logistics and timing, the Futuro house at Marston Park offers guests a unique chance to savor a slice of architectural history in a tranquil, wooded setting. (Chances to stay in a Futuro house are hard to come by, though one is also available to rent in California’s Joshua Tree.)



In contrast to its vibrant turquoise facade, the interior of the Futuro house presents a calming aesthetic of crisp white walls and Space Age furniture. Oval windows that echo the prefab’s shape look out on the park.



Despite its small footprint, the tiny home feels much larger inside as a result of the tall, curving roof.

"It was always important to me that wherever [the house] goes, it functions as a space to live and experience-an inspiring place that everyone can see," says Craig. "I never wanted this to be something that you cannot touch. The launch at Marston Park is the fulfillment of a longstanding dream to offer this womb-like structure for people to stay in."



A private sleeping nook is located off the open-plan living spaces.

For a limited time, overnight guests can experience this otherworldly design. Featuring a double bed and a flexible sleeping space, the prefab can comfortably accommodate up to four people and also comes with its own private bathroom facilities. Though it is not equipped with a kitchenette, food services are available on site all day.



The Futuro house at Marston Park is also just steps from the water.

"The Futuro at Marston Park will be the first in what we hope will be a long line of collaborations with artists, architects, designers, and ingenious folk from the world over," says Fenna.



"[This] is a sculpture that I have been working on for years-restoring it, curating it, programming it," says Craigt. "But I don’t want to hide it from the world. I want to share it."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×