Futuro House (aka UFO House): Witten, Germany: Strange, Weird, Wonderful And Cool Buildings:

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UPDATED 101813 | ADDED 091811 | WITTEN, GERMANY | RETURN TO THE MAIN FUTURO HOUSE ARTICLE | RETURN HOME

Previously located at Hollwieser Straße 7 32602 Vlotho, Germany - Moved 2010

Ruhrstraße 110, 58452 Witten, Germany \| 51°25'40.93"N 7°20'7.91"E
Featured Image From Wikipedia \| CC 3.0 \| Image Date 052810		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 040104
		View Larger Map
Video & Additional Images		Notes, History & Resources
Update 101813 Came across the video below the other day. The video could be characterized as being a little bizarre and is almost certainly designed to reflect Wilp's character and interest in the Futuro and space but it does feature some nice footage of the Futuro. Original Video & Images 091811 This video is from a German TV News report on a truck that crashed while trying to pass the Futuro on the road during the trip from Vlotho to Witten. Though mostly about the crash and with German video that I do not understand it does include a couple of shots of the Futuro. Additional Images: By futurohouse - 1, 2, 3, 4 \| Images Dated 061911 By Nilfisk - 1, 2, 3 \| Images Dated 112810 By Travelswiss1 \| Image Date 060310 futurohouse also includes in his set of images of this Futuro a couple of shots of a brochure or pamphlet [in French] entitled "France Futuro Fabrication - conception generale" [1, 2] which translates to "France Futuro Manufacturing - General Design" in English. I assume that this pamphlet was on display either inside the Futuro or inside the building; there is no commentary with the images indicating this is so but they carry the same tags so that must be the assumption. Though the images do not particularly show evidence of restoration work it is clear that at least in terms of support some work has been done with the earlier Wikipedia and Travelswiss1 images showing the Futuro resting on pallets and the later images from futurohouse and Nilfisk showing the pallets gone and the Futuro seated in its steel cradle.		Update 110612 The September 2011 issue of Cranes Today Magazine includes an article on the 2010 transport of the Futuro from Vlotho to its current location. The Futuro was moved by the German Firm August Alborn who received an award from ESTA [the European Association of Abnormal Road Transport and Mobile Cranes] for the move. After considering and subsequently discounting disassembly for road transport and air transport the company settled on moving the Futuro by road in a fully assembled state. Update 100812 The Charles Wilp Exhibition in Witten opened 091512. marko Home kindly sent me links to two recent articles from the Essen based newspaper WAZ that provide some detail. In an article from 082212 [Google Translation to English here] we see a photo of the Futuro part way through the restoration process. There is some commentary about the restoration process and we learn that the planned 091512 opening will be for invited guests only [apparently the required permits for full public operation had not yet been obtained]. A second article published 091612 [Google Translation to English here] reports on the actual opening on 091512. The opening of the Witten exhibit brings the number of Futuro's on public display [at least for part of the year] to three; the other two are at the WeeGee Exhibition Center, Espoo, Finland [as of 091612 closed for the Winter but reopening summer 2013] and at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Original Information 091811 The current imagery used in Google Maps does not show the Futuro at this location; the imagery is dated 040104 and the Futuro did not arrive from Vlotho until 2010. We do see however the concrete pad upon which the Futuro now sits. The image below; a screen shot grabbed from Bing Maps "Bird's Eye" view shows this even more clearly [access live in Bing Maps]. Google Earth, which allows you to go back through whatever earlier imagery is available actually shows the concrete pad as having been there since at least as early as 062902. It can only be speculation of course but, to me at least, that would seem to indicate that either the presence of a concrete pad the right shape and size for a Futuro was just a happy [and incredible] coincidence or the current owners had actually been looking to purchase a Futuro for a long time. This Futuro was located in Vlotho, Germany for some 40 years prior to being moved to Witten; it was owned by ASV Stübbe and served as the company boardroom. The Futuro was moved by road in 2010; a trip that did not go off without incident. The video to the left is a German TV News piece about a truck that crashed while attempting to pass the Futuro on the road. The audio is in German so I have no idea what is being said but perhaps the truck driver was a little distracted at seeing a UFO travelling down the freeway! The video does include a couple of shots of the Futuro on the flatbed. The Futuro was brought to Witten to feature at the Charles Wilp Module, an exhibition and museum dedicated to the life and work of the artist, designer and photographer. A larger than life character Charles Wilp was an early owner of a Futuro which he had placed on the roof of his home in Dusseldorf where it saw many auspicious visitors including, among others, Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys and Rudolf Nebel. That Futuro, according to Wikipedia "now serves as a chill Out to researchers in the Arctic" though I can find no evidence of that. The purchase of the Vlotho Futuro for inclusion in the Charles Wilp Module somehow seems very fitting given Wilp's involvement with the Futuro early in his life. Sources & Reference ASV Stübbe Company The Charles Wilp Module Cranes Today Magazine - September 2011 Issue Wikipedia - German [English translation here] In Print - Books & Magazines Cranes Today Magazine - September 2011 Issue \| Pages 293-294 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.

Ruhrstraße 110, 58452 Witten, Germany \| 51°25'40.93"N 7°20'7.91"E
Featured Image From Wikipedia \| CC 3.0 \| Image Date 052810		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 040104
		View Larger Map
Video & Additional Images		Notes, History & Resources
Update 101813 Came across the video below the other day. The video could be characterized as being a little bizarre and is almost certainly designed to reflect Wilp's character and interest in the Futuro and space but it does feature some nice footage of the Futuro. Original Video & Images 091811 This video is from a German TV News report on a truck that crashed while trying to pass the Futuro on the road during the trip from Vlotho to Witten. Though mostly about the crash and with German video that I do not understand it does include a couple of shots of the Futuro. Additional Images: By futurohouse - 1, 2, 3, 4 \| Images Dated 061911 By Nilfisk - 1, 2, 3 \| Images Dated 112810 By Travelswiss1 \| Image Date 060310 futurohouse also includes in his set of images of this Futuro a couple of shots of a brochure or pamphlet [in French] entitled "France Futuro Fabrication - conception generale" [1, 2] which translates to "France Futuro Manufacturing - General Design" in English. I assume that this pamphlet was on display either inside the Futuro or inside the building; there is no commentary with the images indicating this is so but they carry the same tags so that must be the assumption. Though the images do not particularly show evidence of restoration work it is clear that at least in terms of support some work has been done with the earlier Wikipedia and Travelswiss1 images showing the Futuro resting on pallets and the later images from futurohouse and Nilfisk showing the pallets gone and the Futuro seated in its steel cradle.		Update 110612 The September 2011 issue of Cranes Today Magazine includes an article on the 2010 transport of the Futuro from Vlotho to its current location. The Futuro was moved by the German Firm August Alborn who received an award from ESTA [the European Association of Abnormal Road Transport and Mobile Cranes] for the move. After considering and subsequently discounting disassembly for road transport and air transport the company settled on moving the Futuro by road in a fully assembled state. Update 100812 The Charles Wilp Exhibition in Witten opened 091512. marko Home kindly sent me links to two recent articles from the Essen based newspaper WAZ that provide some detail. In an article from 082212 [Google Translation to English here] we see a photo of the Futuro part way through the restoration process. There is some commentary about the restoration process and we learn that the planned 091512 opening will be for invited guests only [apparently the required permits for full public operation had not yet been obtained]. A second article published 091612 [Google Translation to English here] reports on the actual opening on 091512. The opening of the Witten exhibit brings the number of Futuro's on public display [at least for part of the year] to three; the other two are at the WeeGee Exhibition Center, Espoo, Finland [as of 091612 closed for the Winter but reopening summer 2013] and at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Original Information 091811 The current imagery used in Google Maps does not show the Futuro at this location; the imagery is dated 040104 and the Futuro did not arrive from Vlotho until 2010. We do see however the concrete pad upon which the Futuro now sits. The image below; a screen shot grabbed from Bing Maps "Bird's Eye" view shows this even more clearly [access live in Bing Maps]. Google Earth, which allows you to go back through whatever earlier imagery is available actually shows the concrete pad as having been there since at least as early as 062902. It can only be speculation of course but, to me at least, that would seem to indicate that either the presence of a concrete pad the right shape and size for a Futuro was just a happy [and incredible] coincidence or the current owners had actually been looking to purchase a Futuro for a long time. This Futuro was located in Vlotho, Germany for some 40 years prior to being moved to Witten; it was owned by ASV Stübbe and served as the company boardroom. The Futuro was moved by road in 2010; a trip that did not go off without incident. The video to the left is a German TV News piece about a truck that crashed while attempting to pass the Futuro on the road. The audio is in German so I have no idea what is being said but perhaps the truck driver was a little distracted at seeing a UFO travelling down the freeway! The video does include a couple of shots of the Futuro on the flatbed. The Futuro was brought to Witten to feature at the Charles Wilp Module, an exhibition and museum dedicated to the life and work of the artist, designer and photographer. A larger than life character Charles Wilp was an early owner of a Futuro which he had placed on the roof of his home in Dusseldorf where it saw many auspicious visitors including, among others, Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys and Rudolf Nebel. That Futuro, according to Wikipedia "now serves as a chill Out to researchers in the Arctic" though I can find no evidence of that. The purchase of the Vlotho Futuro for inclusion in the Charles Wilp Module somehow seems very fitting given Wilp's involvement with the Futuro early in his life. Sources & Reference ASV Stübbe Company The Charles Wilp Module Cranes Today Magazine - September 2011 Issue Wikipedia - German [English translation here] In Print - Books & Magazines Cranes Today Magazine - September 2011 Issue \| Pages 293-294 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.