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Mobile homes are nothing new—the ubiquitous trailer hitched to the back of a pick-up is a common sight on the road. But imagine looking up to the sky to see one fly through the air. That's what young German designer Werner Aisslinger had in mind when he conceived of Loftcube, a minimal mobile home unit designed for rooftop living.

Loftcube Berlin, 2003 The Loftcube can be airlifted to the roofs of buildings by helicopter, or it can be dismantled and reassembled atop buildings by a crew of only a few people. The “parasite” structure was inspired by the bland, flat roofs of Communist-era apartment buildings in East Berlin. Photos © Steffen Jänicke previous image | next image

Aisslinger's view of Berlin from his fifth-floor studio inspired his vision for rooftop communities inhabited by urban nomads. He believed that the flat roofs of high-rise city buildings could be used as a space for temporary living. "Much of Berlin, especially East Berlin, is composed of bland housing blocks built after the war," Aisslinger says. "Very few architects, except maybe for Gaudí or Le Corbusier, took advantage of the design potential on top of buildings. This is an opportunity to create a wonderful 'skyscape.' "

Aisslinger, who is known internationally for his furniture designs for companies like Cappellini and Interlübke, looked to the work of another furniture designer, Jean Prouvé. Likening a chair to a house, Prouvé was influential in the development of the idea of nomadic architecture, designing with portability in mind.

The rooftop aspect of the Loftcube, however, makes portability a bit more difficult. Plumbing and heating within the unit would require an extension of the host building's utility lines, a feature that leads Aisslinger to refer to the project as a form of "parasite" architecture. Transporting it could prove to be quite a large undertaking, as well: The most expensive means would be by freight helicopter. Alternatively, the modular shell could be dismantled and transported in a number of different ways. An even more cost-effective option, Aisslinger concedes, might be Loftcubes for rent.

According to project architect Tory Lichterman, "We designed Loftcube so that it could be put together and taken apart rather easily by a few people." Lichterman also acknowledges that the project is full of paradoxes. "On the one hand, we tried to make it as light as possible. On the other hand, it is a structurally contained unit whose own weight should be able to neutralize wind drag. Most prefabricated units start out as a solution to the problem of creating shelter. This project started out as a vision for a new way of living, a beautiful idea that we all fell in love with and tried to find solutions for."

Loftcube was first exhibited last May on the roof of the Universal Music building in Berlin during the inaugural DesignMai, a two-week celebration of design that Aisslinger himself helped organize. It has since traveled to Amsterdam and will next find itself atop the roof of the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris.

Aisslinger and his studio will continue to explore different options for Loftcube, which has already generated considerable interest from individuals who want it not only for their roofs, but in their gardens and on their lakefront properties, as well, and from companies hoping to mass-produce it. "This started out as an experiment," Aisslinger explains. "As a creative person, it's necessary to push limits now and then."

By Josephine Minutillo