Matti Suuronen’s Futuro

On the occasion of the opening of the exhibition Futuro – Constructing Utopia at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen VernissageTV met up with Jonieke van Es. She is Head of Collections & Research at the museum and tells us more about the history and concept of the Futuro, how the prototype came into possession of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and how it was restored, the Futuro’s relevance as a design icon, and its future use at the museum.

With its distinctive flying saucer like shape Suuronen’s Futuro is an icon of 1960s design. In 1965 Matti Suuronen was commissioined to design a mobile holiday home that could be erected in poorly accessible skiing areas. The Futuro is made from polyester, measures about 3 x 8 meters, and was conceived for serial production. In part due to the oil crisis of 1973 the production was halted prematurely, but there are still a dozens of Futuros spread across the world.

The Futuro is now on display for the first time after its restoration at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen as centerpiece of the exhibition Futuro – Constructing Utopia, which also presents twenty prints and approximately a hundred design objects from the museum’s collection.