Mad genius on warships made of ice:The beauty of structural engineering:

 

 

 

 

Mad genius who tried to beat Hitler with warships made of ice: Story behind one of war's strangest and most ambitious ideas The madcap Englishman was in a sanatorium, spaced out on amphetamines as he combated crippling chronic exhaustion from over-work. But as he slid between the extremes of fatigue and a blissed-out chemical high, his mind, as always, was racing at the speed of light, struggling with the complexities of his latest brainwave. Aircraft carriers made from ice! +7 Vision: Why not convert icebergs into mid-Atlantic floating air bases with a runway on the top? It was one of the strangest and most ambitious ideas of the Second World War From his days as a Cambridge undergraduate, ideas had always tumbled out of Geoffrey Pyke’s head — off-the-wall ones, so far outside the box that only a genius, or madman, like him would dare to go there. In looks and mannerisms he was odd, resembling his cousin, Magnus Pyke, who a generation later would become the epitome of the bonkers television boffin. For sheer brain power, though, he was almost unique. A fellow scientist likened him to Einstein, the sort of free-thinker who could have invented the wheel. Now, at the height of World War II, the 49-year-old’s job was to think the unthinkable in search of unconventional ways to beat Hitler. Throw away the rulebook was his only guiding rule. Be outrageous, iconoclastic, fearlessly inventive. Thus, when considering how to hide a vehicle sent behind enemy lines during an undercover operation, he suggested putting it inside a tent with a sign in German saying: ‘Officers’ Latrine. For Colonels only’ — in the certain knowledge, he felt, that no rule-bound German soldier who stumbled on it would dare look inside. +7 Cold war: Geoffrey Pyke (pictured) envisaged ice carriers that would have dwarfed battleships A childish joke or inspired? With Pyke — whose mind-boggling story is told in a new book — no one could ever be sure. Another suggestion, made in all seriousness, was to drop Hitler lookalikes on to occupied Greek islands to order the German garrisons there to surrender. The ‘colonels’ latrine’ brainwave was canned, like 99 per cent of the output from his over-active brain —‘Pyke’s Nonsense’, as it was known. The Hitler clones idea, one suspects, never got further than the pub. But the next one — there was always a next one — soon had an army of devotees. It was 1941 and German submarines had the upper hand in the Battle of the Atlantic, sinking too many ships bringing vital supplies to Britain from the United States. A whole fleet of new aircraft carriers was urgently needed to protect convoys in the Atlantic shipping lanes. Pyke came across an obscure article in an old dog-eared copy of the National Geographic Magazine about the immense strength of icebergs and their ability to absorb shell fire without cracking apart. His eccentric mind saw the potential. Why not convert icebergs into mid-Atlantic floating air bases with a runway on the top? It was one of the strangest and most ambitious ideas of the war — from a man whose own wife had once considered him borderline insane. He threw himself into research, soon discovering that if water was mixed with wood pulp and then frozen, the ice became super-strong and also took much longer to melt. Here, he reasoned, was a formidable new material from which to construct huge, unsinkable ‘berg-ships’ to act as floating airfields. Enlarge +7 Cross-section: A diagram showing the details of the top secret plans for an aircraft carrier, HMS Habbakuk From his hospital bed, he sent his idea to Lord Louis Mountbatten, a cousin of the King, whom Winston Churchill had installed as the head of Combined Operations to come up with dotty ideas that might just win the war. Mountbatten was so impressed by Pyke’s zany thinking that he appointed him his director of programmes. Pyke argued that, from this reinforced ice, ‘gargantuan’ ships twice the length and width of the ocean liner Queen Mary could be constructed. They would be ‘the largest vessels ever made by man and unsinkable’. The largest ships ever made, they'd be unsinkable Shells designed to sink conventional metal ships would have little or no impact — and if they did make holes these could be quickly repaired with extra ice. Magnetic mines would drift harmlessly past; torpedoes would perforate the ship without sinking it. He envisaged hundreds of unstoppable and impregnable ‘berg-ships’, guided by propellers, lumbering around the world and into enemy ports, where they could merrily ‘smash up every ship there’. He named his proposal Habakkuk, after the Old Testament prophet who warned: ‘Be utterly amazed, for I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.’ Mountbatten, every bit as mercurial as Pyke and, like Churchill, with a weakness for inventors with ‘corkscrew minds’, was duly amazed. Within three hours of reading Pyke’s paper, he set the wheels in motion. His staff pored over the proposal and pronounced it ‘both sound and brilliant’. Churchill, entranced by the idea of a floating airfield made of ice, came enthusiastically on board too. ‘Berg-ships’ could solve his Atlantic supply problems. +7 Unconventional: One suggestion, made in all seriousness, was to drop Hitler lookalikes on to occupied Greek islands to order the German garrisons there to surrender They could also be the key to invading Norway and kicking out the Nazis, one of Churchill’s obsessions. The project was gathering momentum. On New Year’s Eve 1942, in a high-ceilinged bedroom in his apartment in Piccadilly, a pyjama-clad Pyke sat propped up in bed — his favourite place to work — amid a jumble of papers, ashtrays and empty milk bottles. Around him, an admiral, a brigadier and two top government scientists hung on his every word. Meanwhile, in a secret refrigerated laboratory five floors below London’s Smithfield Meat Market, the best mix of water and wood pulp was worked on to produce ice that was as strong as concrete. The end product — which even a rifle bullet could not shatter — was given the name of ‘Pykrete’, to honour its inventor. Mountbatten, ever the drama queen, took a sample to Chequers, the prime minister’s country house, and popped it into a startled Churchill’s hot bath. The super-ice cube did not melt but continued to float. Eyes popped in amazement. Both men were now convinced that this reinforced ice might well be ‘the most important single idea of this war’. Huge resources were ploughed in, and, on a frozen lake in Canada, work began round-the-clock to build a scale-model 60ft long and 1,000 tons in weight. One exciting discovery during this process was that blocks of Pykrete were essentially self-adhesive and had only to be placed next to each other at suitably cold temperatures for them to start bonding. This would dramatically shorten the process if and when these ships went into full-scale production. In London, though, pressure for even quicker results was growing. The Battle of the Atlantic was now going so badly that some in the Admiralty proposed abandoning convoys altogether. Enlarge +7 'Berg-ship': Churchill, entranced by the idea of a floating airfield made of ice, came enthusiastically on board Churchill wrote reassuringly to his chiefs of staff with news of his ‘berg-ships’ and his hope that the first three would be ready in little over a year. He had reason to be optimistic. On that frozen lake in Canada, the finished model was successfully cut away from the ice on which it had been built and showed no signs of melting. For propulsion, 26 propellers would be spaced along each side. A rudder and a wooden stern and bow would be fitted. All systems were go. And then a major problem surfaced. Pykrete was robust enough to withstand bullets and shells but it had a dangerous tendency to sag under its own weight — and a warship that collapsed once it put out to sea would be no good to anyone. Mountbatten fired at the test block - and hit an admiral Pyke had no doubt he could find a solution — in his mind, every question had an answer, eventually — but, at the War Office, the tide was turning against the whole Habbakuk concept. The establishment figures there had never felt comfortable with the slovenly Pyke, his strange manners and bolshie personality. One fellow scientist was positively hostile towards him, dismissing him as a fraud who, as he put it, ‘clothes commonplace ideas with garrulous pseudo-scientific blather’ and dealt in ‘pretentious nonsense’. A secret report damned Pyke’s project as unproven, too costly and too slow. It also emerged that the giant refrigerators needed to make Pykrete would consume as much steel as building metal warships. Though Pyke argued his case strongly, damage had been done. It didn’t help his cause that other improvements in weaponry and tactics were helping turn the corner in the Battle of the Atlantic. Thanks to the code-cracking teams at Bletchley Park, more German submarine packs were being intercepted, and Allied shipping losses were dropping spectacularly. +7 Cousin of the King: Lord Louis Mountbatten (pictured) was impressed by Geoffrey Pyke's zany thinking When the increasingly impatient Churchill started complaining that Pyke’s progress was sluggish, the ‘berg-ships’ were — as a concept — holed below the water line. Mountbatten had one last go at drumming up enthusiasm. At a meeting of Allied commanders he drew a pistol and fired at a block of Pykrete to prove its strength. The bullet ricocheted off, sending military chiefs diving under the table for cover and nicking a slow-moving admiral. But for all the melodrama — and apparent success — of this demonstration, Pyke’s invention was foundering. The scientific focus was shifting away from him, to technology for the forthcoming Allied invasion of France. The floating Mulberry harbours for the invasion of Normandy assumed priority over ‘berg-ships’. Pyke found himself sidelined, a situation he did not take well. When he was asked to take a pay-cut because the work was drying up, he bridled, refused and was sacked. He continued to turn up to the headquarters of Combined Operations to do his now non-existent job until sentries were told to bar him. It was a humiliating finale for a man whose inventiveness had at one time been hailed as war-winning. But Pyke’s biographer, Henry Hemming, reveals that there may well have been a deeper reason for him falling so spectacularly out of favour. It turns out that Pyke could have been bolshie not only in his personality but in his politics. Documents only recently released to the public show that for much of the war he was under investigation as a possible Soviet spy. With only circumstantial evidence and suspicion to go on (plus a large dose of anti-semitism because Pyke was Jewish), they were unable to decide whether he was a harmless and dotty patriotic boffin or a traitor whose first loyalty was to Moscow. +7 Plans: Pyke envisaged hundreds of unstoppable and impregnable 'berg-ships', guided by propellers, lumbering around the world and into enemy ports They were concerned enough, though, to brief Mountbatten that Pyke was ‘possibly a knave and definitely a fool’ and recommend dropping him from the Combined Operations team. Mountbatten ignored the advice. As he saw it, the middle of a life-and-death war was no time to dump a genius. Indeed, while MI5 continued to fret, Mountbatten stuck by his ‘crazy, independent thinker’ as long as he could. It was only after Mountbatten left Combined Ops that Pyke was frozen out, along with his ‘berg-ships’. Pyke never came to terms with the failure of the Habbakuk project to turn his genius into reality. He became bitter, not least when, after the war, the Admiralty leaked to the Press the story of ‘HMS Iceberg’ and made fun of it. He felt further cheated when he was denied the patent rights to Pykrete. He became more and more paranoid and isolated, in both mental and physical pain, until in February 1948, aged 54, he swallowed a container of barbiturates and died. He left notes complaining of ‘the misery of my life’ and declaring that he was ‘too tired to go on’. In obituaries he was hailed as a ‘famous back-room boy’, a ‘genius’, a ‘pioneer’, and ‘one of the most original characters in this country’. But had he really been secretly working for Moscow all those years? Author Henry Hemming believes not. Certainly he was Left-wing in his inclinations, describing himself as a Marxist. He also moved in committed communist circles and some of his friends turned out to be undercover agents. But all that added up to was guilt by association. Pyke himself, Hemming insists, was no Soviet agent, no traitor, not even a communist as such but rather a passionate anti-fascist who wanted to topple Hitler but had no truck with Stalin. Above all, he was a free-thinker, and therefore the last person to be confined by the shackles of communist ideology. But it is hard to escape the conclusion that, along with too many other clever people of his generation, he allowed himself to be a fellow traveller — a ‘useful idiot’, in Lenin’s scathing phrase, for all his genius.

The beauty of structural engineering:   Apple's futuristic flagship store and a fish-hook inspired bridge among contenders for prize Winners of The Structural Awards 2014 will be announced in London on November 14 Entries came from New Zealand, Turkey, China, Germany, Canada, as well as many from the UK The prestigious competition, run by The Institution of Structural Engineers in London, celebrates innovative designs and materials in all types of buildings and structures Shortlisted structures include everything from wood-clad eco houses to metallic futuristic market places, shops that look like glass cuboids, bridges with opening parts and a bulbous stock exchange that appears to defy gravity From skyscrapers and bridges to markets and houses, modern buildings can transform the skyline and mood of a city. And in order to create new landmarks and public forums, structural engineers have to marry cutting-edge architectural design and making a building stand up. Now, some of the best new structures around the world – from a new Apple store in Istanbul to a bridge modelled on a Maori fishhook – have been shortlisted for The Structural Awards 2014. +11 Some of the best new structures around the world - from a new Apple store in Istanbul to a bridge modelled on a Maori fishhook - have been shortlisted for The Structural Awards 2014. This is the new Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London The prestigious competition, run by The Institution of Structural Engineers in London, celebrates innovative designs and materials in all types of buildings and structures. Shortlisted structures include everything from wood-clad eco houses to metallic futuristic market places, shops that look like glass cuboids, bridges with opening parts and a bulbous stock exchange that appears to defy gravity. Certain projects, such as a footbridge in the Rocky Mountains, Canada, had not only to fit into a beautiful location, but to add to the landscape. +11 The prestigious competition, run by The Institution of Structural Engineers in London, celebrates innovative designs and materials in all types of buildings and structures. This is the new lightweight-concrete staircase with a steel core at the Grade I listed Somerset House in London, designed to last for 120 years +11 Certain projects, such as this footbridge in the Rocky Mountains, Canada, had not only to fit into a beautiful location, but add to the landscape. Structural engineers created a 'minimal' footbridge clad with wood that is designed to absorb the vibrations of walkers and joggers trampling across it.The judges of the competition noted that not only is it practical, bit it 'respects the beautiful natural setting' Structural engineers created a ‘minimal’ footbridge clad with wood that is designed to absorb the vibrations of walkers and joggers trampling across it. The judges of the competition noted that not only is it practical, but it ‘respects the beautiful natural setting’. Some projects shoehorned incredibly modern features such as dramatic metal staircases, into classical older buildings. +11 There are only five elements to this new Apple 'lantern' building - four sheets of glass and a single panel of metal. The only thing holding them together is silicone.'Only engineering excellence and attention to detail can produce a result of such simplicity and purity of expression,' the judges said +11 The Lower Hatea Crossing (pictured) is part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion around the city of Whangarei, New Zealand. The architectural appearance was inspired by a traditional Maori fish hook.The judges said: 'The client aspired for the bridge to be a public landmark that would reflect the art and culture of the Maori people. The innovative design of the bridge has delivered that aspiration.' And other shortlisted entries pushed the boundaries when it came to the use of materials. Engineers from Arup designed the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in Shenzhen, China. It has a 836ft (255metre) high tower that supports a three storey ‘podium’ 118ft (36 metres) above ground level. The effect is dramatic and also includes a glass façade that changes appearance in different lighting conditions. Entries came from New Zealand, Turkey, China, Germany, Canada, as well as many from the UK and the winners will be announced in London on November 14, 2014. +11 The 738ft (255metre) high tower of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China supports a large three-storey podium 118ft (36metre) above ground level. A textured all-glass facade enables the building to sparkle and change appearance according to the lighting conditions +11 Red Bridge House is set within a remote area of ancient woodland in East Sussex. The vision was to create a bespoke three-storey residential structure, worthy of its unique setting. The judges said: 'Elegant design and detailing combine to give this daringly-conceived project a light, open feeling. The outcome is a delightful residence' +11 Slipstream (pictured) is a giant sculpture in the new Heathrow Terminal 2 building, expressing the movement of a stunt plane flying through the entrance space. It is the longest permanent sculpture in Europe, made from around 32,000 unique parts. The judges said: 'It is a great example of creative art and engineering coming together.' ‘We hold the Structural Awards each year to recognise outstanding work by structural engineers and to raise awareness about the vital global role they play creating innovative design solutions,’ said Martin Powell, Chief Executive of The Institution of Structural Engineers. ‘From skyscraper and bridge construction to heritage and home projects, the awards showcase the full range of chartered structural engineers’ abilities - as trusted professionals, problem solvers, and the guardians of public safety.’ +11 A new market building (pictured) built on a site surrounded by some of Barcelona's busiest transport lanes. The roof was assembled at ground level and jacked up into position +11 The new bridge at Schönebeck, Germany, (pictured) is the largest cable-stayed bridge in the region, constructed to relieve the City of Schönebeck from a considerable increase of through traffic. The judges were impressed by the elegant simplicity of the bridge, which has been thoughtfully detailed to fit perfectly into the surrounding landscape +11 The Kew House project (pictured) brings a refreshingly different and highly-engineered approach to the archetypal problem of creating attractive, useable space on a tightly-constrained site, the judges said

'Forget a panic room - lets do an entire HOUSE! Futuristic Los Angeles mansion:Furze Croft is a newly-built classical mansion

 

 

 

 

The house so luxurious it bankrupted its owner: Futuristic Los Angeles mansion Silvertop goes on the market for $7.5 million Inventor Kenneth Reiner started building the home in the 1950s but was eventually bankrupted after holding back no expense for its gadgets He had anticipated the home would cost around $75,000 but the total soared to more than $1 million It was eventually bought by another family who are now selling The house appeared in 1987 movie Less Than Zero Inventor Kenneth Reiner's ideas for his Los Angeles mansion may have been massive - but unfortunately his wallet wasn't big enough to match them. The stunning, futuristic home, which has since featured in movies and music videos, has gone on the market for $7.5 million - five decades after it helped bankrupt Reiner. The industrialist, who made a small fortune designing self-locking aircraft nuts and women's hair grips in the mid-20th century, set no budget for the 4,720 sq ft property, known as 'Silvertop'. But while he anticipated it would cost him around $75,000 to build, the actual total topped $1 million. +15 Stunning: 'Silvertop' was built between 1957 and 1976 and is now on the market for $7.5 million +15 Futuristic: In 1960, the Evening Post called it 'the darnedest house ever seen around Southern California' +15 Picturesque: The mansion, which overlooks the Silver Lake Reservoir, had the first ever infinity pool +15 Breathtaking: The pool was the work of original owner, inventor Kenneth Reiner, and designer John Lautner Today, beneath its curved roof, sit three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a library, study, carport and darkroom, as well as a guest house, tennis court, gardens and the first-ever infinity pool. Patios and gardens give views over the San Gabriel Mountains, Silver Lake, Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign in the Santa Monica Mountains and West to the Ocean, according to the listing with Crosby Doe Associates. More... The mega mansion: Plans unveiled for new £60million property set in 20 acres of Surrey countryside and 45 TIMES the size of an average new home Left to rot: Detroit's 40,000 abandoned and empty buildings awaiting demolition as decaying city nears bankruptcy Drop the poker face, you won! Super-serious card player refuses to smile after historic $15.3million win Reiner also called for gadgets straight out of a Bond movie, including a dining table with a hydraulic pedestal that was lowered for cocktails and elevated for meals, his L.A. Times obituary said. Among other gadgets and quirky designs - invented by Reiner or architect John Lautner - was a cantilevered driveway that the city feared would not safely hold a car. +15 Interior: The 4,720 square foot home has three bedrooms and four bathrooms amid a sleek design +15 Futuristic: In the 50s, Reiner asked for designs including hidden buttons in the wall and moving furniture +15 Smart: Reiner placed no budget on his designs, including these walls that open to reveal the view +15 Simple: After Reiner hit money troubles it sat empty for years until new owners bought it in 1974 +15 Spacious: The guest house has an open plan living and dining area, as well as one bedroom and bathroom +15 Light: In 1974, a new family took over the property and worked with the same designer to finish it Publications at the time also expressed awe at the swimming pool, which was 'spookily engineered so there seems to be no rim, just water to the edge,' according to Life magazine in 1962. In 1960, the Saturday Evening Post called Silvertop 'the darnedest house ever seen around Southern California', Yahoo! Homes reported. Despite the money he poured in to the structure, Reiner and his family never got to live in it. 'In the end... the extravagance of Silvertop was Reiner's undoing,' his obituary read. He had hoped to spend $75,000 on it, but he didn't put any limitations on Lautner and costs soared. Reiner and a business partner formed a corporation to support Lautner's office so he could work full time on the house - but the partner eventually sued Reiner, and he lost the home in bankruptcy. +15 Passageways: The spacious home also has a library inside, as well as a study and darkroom +15 Views: The home looks over the San Gabriel Mountains, the Hollywood Sign and West to the Ocean +15 Privacy: Pictured, the glass facade and terrace of Silvertop, which also has a carport and tennis court +15 On top of the world: The stunning views include the Hollywood sign in the Santa Monica Mountains 'I thought he would be devastated,' Guy Zebert, the original project architect, told the L.A. Times. 'But he didn't show it too much. He just kept on moving.'

'Forget a panic room - lets do an entire HOUSE!' See inside the nuke-proof doomsday bunker built to look like an average family home The 4,200-square-foot compound is in Yellow Jacket, Colorado and has just been listed The bunker comes with a 100-foot radio tower and helicopter pad Reinforced concrete and steel walls make it 'nuclear-rated' It has a seven-stage water filtration system and four separate power systems When it comes to living a life of solitude, it doesn't get much more self-sufficient than this. A 4,200-square-foot compound in Yellow Jacket, a desert town in Montezuma County, Colorado, has been built with disaster-ready architecture, essentially allowing it to withstand anything the world can throw at it. The walls are made of reinforced concrete and lined with steel. The structure is so strong it has been deemed 'nuclear rated', according to Curbed. Just your average house ... with a 100-foot radio tower: This Colorado bunker, which has been deemed disaster-proof, is on the market for $11.5 million The compound, in Yellow Jacket, Colorado, is on the market for $11.5 million or can be rented for $19,500 a month per person Cosy: The interior has a homely feel, save for the metal air ducts on the roof, which are designed to close in the event of any air contamination, such as a nuclear meltdown The bunker has four different power sources and has never experienced a drop in the 10 years since it was built The house is far from any other properties, allowing for uninterrupted privacy The bunker comes with a 100-foot radio tower and a helicopter pad. Built into it is a seven-stage water filtration system and four separate power systems. Among the latter is an array of solar and wind turbine set-ups, as well as propane and gas generators that are used as a last resort. According to the sales listing, in the 10 years the house has been there, it has never experienced a power drop. However it's surprisingly easy to forget the military-like features of the bunker because the interior is so friendly. In the absence of a nuclear disaster, the well-manicured grounds seem a nice place to relax We could think of worse ways to see out the end of the world ... Dinner will be served in the dining room The compound has no windows and relies on artificial light Inside the only giveaways to the house's power are the metal air ducts that can be seen overhead. These are designed to close off in the case of extremities, such as contaminated air from a biological hit, gas leak, etc. The home can also be rented for 19.5K a month - but that is per head. So in the case of any future, pre-planned natural or nuclear disasters, you and your kin can book in and be totally safe. The compound, believed to have been built in 2003, is on the market for the first time with an asking price of $11.5 million The interior features were fashioned to suit the Montezuma County area The house is located in Yellow Jacket, Colorado. It is not know what motivated the owner to build it       Real life panic rooms for the rich and famous: hidden chambers behind fireplaces, bookcases and even inside a Narnia like wardrobe Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart huddled inside a security chamber in the 2002 film, Panic Room, and the concept has sparked massive demand among wealthy homeowners looking to hide valuables and prepare a secure location for themselves in case of a break-in or emergency. Creative Home Engineering, a custom manufacturer based in Gilbert, Ariz., offers hidden doors to secret passages, safe houses for security and also for chambers to hide out during intense weather. The company says they have installed the systems at 'ultra-luxury estates and royal palaces across the globe,' according to their website. The doors are engineered to seamlessly blend into the interior of a room so that they cannot be spotted by a visitor. 'They contain hidden cavities with steel structural support members to keep the door strong and rigid, along with our patented custom hinges, and numerous other technical innovations that have set us apart as the leader in the secret door industry.' Deceptive: The shelves in this Billiard rooms can open up to allow a resident to move about the home Peek-a-boo: The everyday person would walk by this bookcase (right) but it hides the entrance to a secret chamber hidden beneath the array of books Valuables: What appears to be a chest of drawers is actually a hidden compartment to store a safe (right) Narnia awaits: This engraved armoire looks like it could be straight out of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, with a door that opens at the back...possibly to enter another world Security: This wooden bookshelf is a front for secure opening to a safe house Most chamber include some kind of communication system that alerts authorities in case of an emergency. Basic projects cost start at $6,500 and take around 8 weeks to construct. A homeowner sends measurements and a photo of a closet, bedroom or storage room that they would like to convert into a secret room and the company can construct the installation. They boast that the passageways can be installed in minutes, as they arrive pre-hung in their own door frames so they can slide into the door openings in a person's home. In the 2002 thriller starring Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart, the actors play a mother-daughter duo who get stuck inside a panic room in their Upper West Side brownstone. Now you see it: The secret passages are priced starting at around $6,500 and the custom doors take around 8 weeks to manufacture Hidden: This ornate bookshelf conceals the entrance to a hidden gun room Collectables: Beneath this decorative stone wall is an entrance to a secret wine cellar Unexpected: This closet opens up to reveal a secret safe hidden behind Custom made: A secret door beneath this modern staircase can be fitted for this unusually sized closet Secret: It appears to be a wall but a middle opening reveals a hidden passageway to another room Concealed: For this modern home, the wall can be pushed back to reveal a secret staircase Hollywood: In the 2002 thriller starring Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart, the actors play a mother-daughter duo who get stuck inside a panic room in their Upper West Side brownstone       It has eight bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a private cinema, making it the family home of anyone's dreams - but only if you have £17.5m to spare. Furze Croft is a newly-built classical mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, and comes with 1.74 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, huge living spaces and a 1,700-bottle wine cellar. The developers say it 'has been designed to be a real family home', but it certainly goes far beyond what most of us are used to in our day-to-day lives. Scroll down for video  +22 Coming in at a whopping £17.5m, Furze Croft, in Weybridge, Surrey, is a new build in a classical design. It has eight bedrooms, a private cinema and an indoor pool +22 The main drawing room area comes off the entrance hall and is centred around a large fireplace and has French windows which open out into the garden +22 The master bedroom has its own private balcony, as well as twin walk-in dressing rooms and ensuite bathrooms. It is one of six bedroom suites +22 The beautiful mansion has two wings and nearly two acres of landscaped gardens. Its developers say it was designed to be a 'real family home' Once you've made it through the grand gates and up the gravel driveway, complete with feature landscaped turning circle, you open the front door onto a huge double volume entrance hall, with a sweeping staircase and glass roof cupola. From the entrance hall you can reach the 18-seater dining room, plush double drawing room and the kitchen and breakfast room, which open right out onto the flagstone paved terrace and back garden through French windows. Furze Croft has also been designed for entertaining on an extra large scale. One wing contains a large VIP entertaining suite consisting of a custom-made bar and drinks lounge. Folding glass doors can be opened to merge this space with the outside terrace,which creates a space big enough to entertain 200 guests - more than most people are used to on their average weekend. +22 The large, open entrance hall has a marble floor and opens out into the double drawing room, 18-seater dining room and kitchen and breakfast room   The bright entrance hall features a sweeping staircase and glass roof cupola, giving a suitably dramatic first impression of the house +22 The light-filled breakfast room is attached to the kitchen, has a breakfast bar and backs onto the huge expanse of gardens +22 There is an indoor swimming pool and hot tub for when it's time to relax, with space for loungers at pool-side and huge doors opening up to the garden The house is located on East Road in St George's Hill estate, where former residents include Elton John, Tom Jones and a host of footballers including Frank Lampard and John Terry. As well as the indoor swimming pool, complete with pool-side loungers, it boats a hot tub, while the bathrooms have super-deep baths and giant power showers. Steve Glover, founding director of developers Consero London said: 'Despite its size, Furze Croft has been designed to be a real family home that pleases and impresses its occupants and visitors. We have carefully balanced its large entertaining rooms with cosy and intimate informal spaces where the family can relax and interact.     +22 Furze Croft has been designed for large-scale entertaining, with a reception area that can open up to hold more than 200 people  +22 The kitchen is fitted out with top-of-the-range modern appliances and has a built-in island area and kitchen table, as well as French windows +22 +22 When you walk through the grand gates and the entrance hall you reach the 18-seater dining room, perfect for dinner parties 'The local housing market is lacking brand-new 21st century mansions of this quality and advanced specification. St George's Hill is one of the finest private estates outside of central London, making Furze Croft both a good turn-key investment as well an outstanding country retreat close to the capital.'  The house took two years to build and is set over lower ground, ground and first floors. The developers are expecting interest from Russian and Middle Eastern millionaires.  It has six bedroom suites, consisting of a master bedroom with a private terrace overlooking the gardens, twin walk-in dressing rooms and twin ensuite bathrooms. Four have walk-in dressing rooms and ensuites and the other also has an ensuite.   +22 The house's interior oozes wealth, and developers are hoping it gets snapped up by wealthy Russian or Middle Eastern buyers   There is an extra-large garage big enough for four limousines or large saloon cars, with access to the house via a side lobby +22 The massive walk-in dressing rooms mean you will never again have trouble digging out your favourite shirt   The top-of-the-range super-deep baths and power showers mean the spacious bathrooms are pure luxury On the first floor of one wing there is also a two-bedroom staff apartment with self-contained kitchen and sitting room, which could alternatively serve as an annex. The other wing houses the 11-metre long, 2.1-metre deep pool, a gym, sauna and changing/toilet facilities. Folding glass doors in the pool room can be opened onto the garden, creating a large inside-outside leisure area. When you descend to the lower ground floor you find the private cinema, complete with customised wall panelling and tiered platform flooring just like the real thing.  This floor also has a wine display suite with a glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled wine room capable of holding a whopping 1,700 bottles of fine wines and spirits. The mansion has been built using some of the finest materials and craftsmen from around the world. Botticino Fiorito marble flooring has been used across the house, while the design theme is evident in every room.  +22 The wine cellar is big enough for an incredible 1,700 bottles, meaning this family home is not short of entertainment facilities +22 The house, off East Road on the prestigious St George's Hill estate, took two years to build. The trees and plants were specially imported from Tuscany The garage can accommodate up to four limousines or large saloon cars, with direct access to the house via a side lobby, while the grounds feature trees and plants specially hand selected and imported from Tuscany.  Robert Osborn, Founding Director of Consero London said: 'Furze Croft sets a new benchmark for quality and luxury in the St George's Hill housing market. It is defined by its exceptional quality; architectural integrity and fine attention to detail. The house has involved hundreds of man-hours and a team of skilled artisans providing the very best of British, French and Italian craftsmanship amongst various other countries.  'Using centuries old techniques, stone carving, guilding, marquetry and cabinetry has been combined with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment and security technology. The result is an extremely special and unique residence of outstanding value.' The exclusive St George's Hill estate is a celebrity-spotting hotspot. It has golf and tennis clubs nearby, large water features and an abundance of manicured green spaces. France's national debt expected to hit almost €2trillion by the end of the year Seven-floor, 16,000 sq ft apartment block in New York once used by diplomatic staff goes on market for $32.5million It follows sale of ambassador's residence overlooking Central Park which sold for $70million earlier this year French Government has an estimated €190billion worth of state-owned property in Europe 2,150 state-owned properties currently being sold on government website France is resorting to selling off many of its most prestigious and valuable properties in a desperate bid to raise funds and keep its national debt under control. With France's total debt expected to hit almost €2trillion ($2.7trillion) by the end of the year and President Francois Hollande's government hoping to save around €50billion ($67billion) over the next three years, state-owned properties across the world are having to be offered up for sale. The latest property to go on the market is 1143 Fifth Avenue in New York - a stunning seven-floor, red brick and limestone block in central Manhattan once home to many of France's top U.S. diplomats. +5 Up for grabs: This seven-floor apartment block in Manhattan, New York, which was once used to house French diplomatic staff is being offered for sale for $32.5million Covering 16,000 sq ft, the imposing block was built in 1923 and has an asking price of $32.5million (€24million). It consists of five apartments each boasting an impressive 1690 sq ft as well as a stunning eight-room duplex offering a huge 2712 sq ft. Viewings are understood to have started in April and it is believed that a buyer has already been found as the official authorisation for the sale was granted last week by France's Office Journal, the Daily Telegraph reports. It follows the sale earlier this year of the luxurious 18-room French ambassador’s residence at 740 Park Avenue which was reportedly snapped up by an American financier for a cool $70 million (€52 million). Once dubbed the world's 'richest apartment building' the block was once home to Jacqueline Kennedy and John D Rockerfeller. The 18-room, 7-1/2 bath duplex apartment featured five fireplaces was reportedly used to host parties on an almost daily basis. Its sale resulted in some embarrassment for France's new ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre who is yet to find a new place to live after his plan to buy a a palatial 14-room Art Deco flat overlooking the East River were blocked by one of the current residents. New York City socialite Elizabeth Kabler reportedly upended the sale because she didn't like the idea of a French ambassador moving in and throwing too many parties. Fearful of too many guests, constant entertaining and of a neighbor who fancies himself above the law, Kabler waged a biter campaign to urge her fellow stakeholders to block the sale of the 14-room co-op to French , or any foreign emissaries. +5 Sold: An 18-room apartment at 740 Park Avenue, overlooking Central Park, previously used as the French ambassador's residence was reportedly snapped up by an American financier for a cool $70 million earlier this year +5 Famous residents: Once dubbed the world's 'richest apartment building' the block was once home to Jacqueline Kennedy and John D Rockerfeller   Homeless: The sale of the apartment at 740 Park Avenue means France's new ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre s yet to find a new place to live In a letter sent to fellow residents she wrote: 'It is not in the interests of the residents of River House to cohabit with foreign emissaries who are, to a large extent, beyond the reach of the law.' France has an estimated €190billion worth of state-owned property in Europe, more than any other country. A government website is currently listing some 2150 properties that are currently up for sale or in the process of being sold, indicating the scale of the sell-off. Among the prestigious properties that have already been offered for sale are Louis XV's hunting lodge at La Muette outside Paris and Chateau Thonon-les-Bains  by Lake Geneva in the French Alps. France is not the the only country looking to cash in on state-owned properties. London in particular has seen scores of embassies or diplomacy related buildings sold or considered for sale in recent months. The trend was started by the US government which sold its embassy in grosvenor Square to the Qatari royal family — for an estimated £500 million. Canada recently sold its Mayfair embassy for £306milion - more than six times the value placed on it just 14 years ago. The Brazilian embassy, on Green Street, Mayfair, fetched £40 million, with one agent describing the diplomatic market as a 'goldmine'.