DISNEYLAND FACT OF THE DAY: House of the Future was the second Monsanto-sponsored attraction at Disneyland (after the Hall of Chemistry). It was a free, walk-through exhibit located outside the entrance to Tomorrowland. The attraction stood on a 256-square-foot raised platform surrounded by contemporary gardens and a winding pool that covered about half an acre. The pool wasnt there just for aesthetics--its water was part of the buildings cooling system. From above, the 1280-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home was shaped like a graceful plus sign. Its four compartmentalized modules were each eight feet tall and sixteen feet long and extended from a central core outwards over open air. During its decade-long existence, the House of the Future welcomed some 20 million guests (more than the entire population of California at the time). Guests found a serious mass-produced tract home designed by MIT and Monsanto engineers to show off technological advances from Monsantos Plastics Division. One of the strengths of the house was, in fact, its strength: when it became time to dismantle the entire structure in 1967, engineers discovered that the four extending wings of the house had drooped less than a quarter inch, despite all the heavy traffic. The two-week demolition had to be done by hand with crowbars and saws, because the wrecking ball swung at the house merely bounced off its sides. Fixtures in the bathroom and shelves in the cabinets could be raised and lowered at the push of a button, and the climate-controlled air could be instantly warmed, cooled, purified, or scented. The futuristic communications included an intercom, push-button speaker phones, a sound system in the shower, and a large, wall-mounted TV screen. The sleek furniture was made from vinyl and urethane, the drapes from nylon. Highlights in the step-saver kitchen included an ultrasonic dishwasher and a microwave oven. Although the House of the Future may seem silly or dated now, at the time it was an ambitious attempt to make the spirit of the space age real and practical, which is what Walt Disney would later try to do with the Monorail and PeopleMover.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 16:45:08 +0000
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