360Photography

[ By Steph in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

In the 1970s, these odd little pods were on the cutting edge of portable architecture, with a design clearly influenced by Space exploration and futurism. Today, they sit abandoned on the lot of an Italian holiday resort, cracked and stained. Time hasn’t been kind to these relics of a bygone era, but they could be saved. Restoration specialists are seeking funding to preserve them, along with the rest of the resort, making them an active travel destination.

‘BANGA’ portable bungalows were created by an unknown designer in 1971, intended for use as compact living spaces with folding beds, a small bathroom and kitchenette. The interiors are reminiscent of airplanes and boats, with rounded surfaces, porthole windows, and virtually everything built right into the plastic walls.

All of the factory-assembled components are made from glass-reinforced plastic GRP. Left to age over the decades since they were built, these unusual living units have definitely seen better days, and they’re in need of some serious care, but it’s not hard to imagine them scrubbed up and ready for novelty-seeking travelers.

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