An Unusual Vision in Postwar Germany
In 1959, Juni Ludowici, a German inventor and engineer born in 1896, unveiled an unconventional house design: the Kugelhaus. It was a round, prefabricated structure with a diameter of 4.5 meters, intended as portable emergency housing. Its spherical form defied architectural norms of the time.
A Floating, Flying Shelter
The Kugelhaus could be transported by truck, boat, or helicopter, and it could float on water. Inside, it had enough space for two people, with basic amenities including a toilet, kitchen, and convertible sleeping area. It offered a self-contained, mobile solution for short-term habitation.
Three Were Made, One Survives
Ludowici built three units—two from concrete and one from steel. The only surviving Kugelhaus today is housed at the Ziegelei Museum in Jockgrim, Germany, where it remains on display. Despite its promise, the concept never went into mass production.
An Inventor’s Costly Dream
Ludowici’s efforts to develop the Kugelhaus, along with other inventions, contributed to financial problems that affected his family’s brickworks. Production at the factory eventually stopped in 1972, marking the end of an era shaped in part by his ambitious experiments in housing design.
In 1959, German inventor Juni Ludowici introduced one of the most unusual houses ever built: a spherical dwelling called the Kugelhaus.
Measuring 4.5 meters (14.76 ft) in diameter, it was designed as mobile emergency housing and could float, fly, and be lived in by two people. pic.twitter.com/Gyk15TydDy
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