Mikael Genberg is the man who can turn anything into anything, starting with nothing. Having built hotels high up in the trees and down below the water, the Swedish entrepreneur won numerous awards for his innovative spirit and ability to make the seemingly impossible possible. In 2002 he embarked on yet another inconceivable project - putting a traditional Swedish house on the moon.

Mikael Genberg introducing the house on the moon. Photo: Paul Philip Abrigo

"Monuments have a bigger impact on society than their actual size", Mikael said during the press conference at the Swedish pavilion, "in Paris we have the Eiffel Tower, the opera house in Sydney is representing an entire continent, and here in China we have of course the Great Wall. In Sweden, we have the Globe, which represents the city of Stockholm. But we also have another monument, of which there exists thousands and thousands all over Sweden".

A model of the Moonhouse. Photo: Paul Philip Abrigo

The project seemed impossible at first, but Mikael Genberg gathered all his friends, and through playfulness and innovation, they gained more and more momentum, reaching milestones such as putting a Swedish house on the Globe in Stockholm, having famous Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang fold out a Swedish house in space and even NASA agreeing to bring the Swedish house to the moon on their next trip. Mikael Genberg also enjoys strong support from the City of Stockholm, deputy mayor of education and Stockholm city council member Lotta Edholm said. 

Why a house on the moon then? As Mikael says himself: "A house on the moon to make the world a better place." The plan is to overnight have the entire world knowing that Sweden has placed a house on the Moon, and then within that momentum create a long series of related charity and social institutions back here on Earth, one example being the Moon Academy schools. Mikael concluded that "This project is about competence, a lot about visions but most important - it is about courage. We want to show that together we can make the impossible possible".

Artist and entrepreneur Mikael Genberg right next to the model of the Moonhouse. Photo: Paul Philip Abrigo