History & Updates
The 2023 summer season for Futuro #001 will start 051623 and run through 091723; the Futuro will be open daily to the public during this time. Having visited ourselves back in 2014 we can tell you that WeeGee is well worth a visit if you have the chance; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.
May 2022 saw what is believed to be a first for a Futuro — a wedding. Futuro 001 posted this photo of the event to their Facebook page recently. We offer out hearty congratulations to the happy couple!
The 2022 summer season at WeeGee started 051722 and runs through 091122; the Futuro will be open daily to the public during this time. Having visited ourselves back in 2014 we can tell you that WeeGee is well worth a visit if you have the chance; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.
It seems there is a discussion going on around a suggestion to move this Futuro from its current location out back of the WeeGee Exhibition Center to a position in front of the building.
In an article titled «Ikonista Futuro-taloa aiotaan siirtää espoolaisen museon pihalla — Se sai asiantuntijan varpailleen: Ei missään nimessä» or, according to Google Translate «The iconic Futuro House is to be moved in the courtyard of the Espoo Museum — It got an expert on its toes: Not at all» Helsingin Sano
It seems that Futuro #001 has had some rather cool «mood lighting» added. The photos below were sent to us my Futuro historian Marko Home; thanks Marko.
Marko did not have the opportunity to take night time photos and, while these photos clearly show this new addition, it would be really great to see this at night where the effect would clearly be much more pronounced. If anyone is able to grab night time shots we would really appreciate you sharing them; we can be contacted here.
So this is probably one for only the nerdiest of die hard «Futuro nerds» but, as bona fide card carrying members of that group ourselves, we though this photo was rather interesting. Posted to Instagram by @futurohouseweegee along with the comment:
«Sometimes you have to change a light bulb, even in the Futuro house.»
this cool photo shows detail of the light fitting installed in the armrests between the bed/chair units.
The 2021 summer season at WeeGee started 060121 and runs through 091221; the Futuro will be open daily to the public during this time. Having visited ourselves back in 2014 we can tell you that WeeGee is well worth a visit if you have the chance; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.
This video was posted to Instagram by kulttuuriespoo 040319. The video is related to a museum competition taking place in 2019 wherein museum visitors will vote for the museum they feel provides the best customer experience for its visitors.
The video promotes the WeeGee Exhibition Center which has reached the final stages of the competition and it includes footage of Futuro #001 starting about 4 seconds in. Having visited ourselves a few years ago we imagine WeeGee will fair well in the compet
Original and longtime owner of this Futuro, Finnish TV celebrity Matti Kuusla, sadly passed 112218 at the age of 85 (yle.com). Our sympathies go to Matti’s family and friends.
The 050518 update to this page detailed the events planned at the WeeGee Exhibition Center to celebrate the Futuro’s «50th Birthday». Several videos were published recently that related to one of those events, Mika Taanila’s «Plastic Heart» (081718 through 091618). The first two videos were published on Youtube by KulttuuriEspoo on 081518 and the second two were posted to Instagram the same day by futurohouseweegee.
The Espoo City Museum organization includes several other museums along with the WeeGee Exhibition Center and it also includes among its collections a large photographic archive. These photographs are available for use under CC BY-ND 4.0 license and this series of photos, taken by Ilari Järvinen, are included here under that license. The copyright on the photographs remains with the Espoo City Museum and Ilari Järvinen. The full Espoo City Museum archive can be found here.
Ilari Järvinen’s phot
As has been the case every year since Futuro #001 was acquired and restored by the WeeGee Exhibition center the Futuro will be open to the public during the summer of 2018 (from 051518 through 091718). However, as 2018 is the Futuro’s «50th Birthday», the center is also running several additional Futuro related events and exhibitions and so 2018 would be a perfect year to visit WeeGee should you have the opportunity.
This is the program of 2018 events:
«Futuro World 50 Years» | 051518-123118
The 2017 summer season at WeeGee is about to start (051617) and will run through 091717. Having visited ourselves back in 2014 we can tell you that WeeGee is well worth a visit if you have the chance; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.
Futuro #001 recently received some well deserved publicity and recognition when it was added to the registry of houses maintained by iconichouses.org. Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the restoration of the Futuro and in its ongoing maintenance.
Futuro #001 is once again open to the public. The 2016 summer season at WeeGee started a few days ago (051016) and will run through 091816. Having visited ourselves back in 2014 we can tell you that WeeGee is well worth a visit if you have the chance; the Futuro is perfectly restored and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Futuro House.
This recent addition to our collection of «Things Futuro» is probably the most unusual and perhaps unique to date. It is a metal photographic printing plate that features an iconic image of this Futuro in the late 1960’s. According to the seller the plate came from the old Polykem factory 15 years or so ago. The plate has no identifying marks and is approximately 8¼» x 5¼» in size.
Pentti Sairanen of Mirador Studios is a Finnish VR Tour Photographer who has created a very cool VR Tour of the WeeGee Futuro. The VR Tour can be accessed online on the mirador360.fi website.
The three screenshots are «representative» of the tour but they do not do it justice, you have to check it out. The third screenshot shows an alternate «alien» view which comes complete with video screen and «mood» music.
One point to note; we have a feeling you will need to be using a late version browse
The YouTube Video below is a commercial for the WeeGee Exhibition Center produced recently by Brink Helsinki. On its Facebook Page the company characterizes itself as a:
«production company specializing in visual storytelling.»
The commercial itself is described as being:
«a commercial directed by Alexander Seraidaris for (the) WeeGee exhibition center, where ordinary people try to describe the extraordinary Futuro house designed by Matti Suuronen in the late 60s.»
The Futuro at WeeGee open
«Back in the day» Brett Colquhoun’s father was heavily involved with Futuro in New Zealand during which time he acquired several very interesting Futuro photos that Brett has since shared on Instagram and also kindly allowed us to add to this website. They include this photo of Futuro #002 during the time it was located on Lake Lahnajärvi and this photo of a Futuro outside the Polykem plant.
A few days ago Brett also shared the photo below (Brett’s original image can be found here). The photo d
On 070814 we were fortunate enough to be able to visit Futuro #001 at the WeeGee Exhibition Center. Not only were we fortunate enough to be able to visit the Futuro but in addition we were also able to visit with Marko Home, Futuro historian and editor of the book Futuro: Tomorrow’s House from Yesterday.
Of course no self respecting «Futuro Nerds» would be able to resist documenting such a visit and so the photo top left is of Marko and Mr.Futuro discussing Futuro #001 (Mr. Futuro being the «ve
For those who have a chance to visit the Futuro will once again be open to the public through the summer starting 051314.
Craig Barnes, owner of «Futuro 22» visited Finland in 2013 on a research trip associated with his restoration project. While he was there he shot footage of the Futuro on display at the WeeGee Exhibition Center. The video below was added to Craig’s «Futuro Restoration Diary» a day or two ago and to Youtube on 032814. It provides us with an awesome «virtual visit» to Futuro #
The Futuro is now open to the public again and will be so from 051413 through 090113 (WeeGee Exhibition Center website).
The WeeGee Futuro is rapidly becoming the most photographed, perhaps not surprising given its superb restoration and the fact that it is on display to the public. The two pictures below are each a little bit different in their own way and are a couple of favorites of ours.
The first is a very cool shot taken through trees by ConnectIrmeli on 101913 and the second is a very atmospheric black and white shot by Elektrojänis taken 072012. Both are displayed here under CC 2.0
So, if you were planning on visiting the Futuro at the WeeGee Exhibition Center we 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).
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 the 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. The original of the
With this Futuro being on display and open to the public there are many many photographs around the web and we had not intended to add any more but then we 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 we particularly like the photos taken using the spherical filter (our description — we are sure there is a correct tech
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: Tomorrow
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 Mika 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;
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 her
Futuro #001 has been owned by TV celebrity Matti Kuusla since its manufacture. It is worth noting that despite #001 numbering this was not the first Futuro manufactured — the prototype was #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 Futur
Photo Gallery
