In France, a ’60s Prefab Bubble House Just Popped Up for €90K

by Will Allstetter

Designed by Jean-Benjamin Maneval, the space-age plastic pod is ready to blast off to a new location.

Designed by Jean-Benjamin Maneval, the space-age plastic pod is ready to blast off to a new location.

Price: €90,000 (approximately $105,323 USD)

Year Built: 1964

Architect: Jean-Benjamin Maneval

Footprint: 388 square feet

From the Agent: "The Six-Shell Bubble by Jean-Benjamin Maneval is one of the emblems of the visionary movement of the 1960s. Modular and transportable, this habitable capsule is currently displayed in the sculpture park of a private collector. The six shell bubbles are designed from the same mold. Each consists of two walls made of polyester reinforced with fiberglass, between which insulating polyurethane foam is injected. Large, fixed plastic windows provide ample natural light inside. There is one shell for the entrance, another for the living area, one dedicated to wet rooms, and three additional shells housing two bedrooms and a living room that can also serve as a guest room. Accessed via a flight of metal steps, this organic architecture without foundations offers a living area of 36 square meters."

During France's post-WW2 boom, the "<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">Trente Glorieuses,"</span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> a new cohort of architects radically reimagined their discipline, building futuristic designs. </span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">Jean-Benjamin Maneval</span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">'s Bubble House is an iconic example of that ethos.</span>

Jean-Benjamin Maneval’s Six-Shell Bubble is a futuristic, prefabricated pod home.

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

The design was produced in 300 units between 1964 and 1968.

The architect produced three hundred bubble houses between 1964 and 1968.

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

The shell is made from plastic set on a concrete base, produced in collaboration with the <span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">petrochemical industry of the ELF Aquitaine group</span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">. </span>

The plastic prefab is set on a concrete base. It was produced in collaboration with the ELF Aquitaine group.

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

Each protrusion off the bulb was designed for a specific purpose, from sleeping quarters to cooking area.

Each segment of the home was designed for a specific purpose. 

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

Modular and transportable, the building is meant to be moved to its new home upon the sale.

The modular dwelling is ready to be transported to a new location after the sale.

Photo courtesy of Architecture de Collection

The Six-Shell Bubble is currently listed for €90,000 (approximately $105,323 USD) by Architecture de Collection.

Chris Robertson

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