Pair of Willy Guhl Loop Chairs, circa 1950
View Similar Items
Pair of Willy Guhl Loop Chairs, circa 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 22 in (55.88 cm)Width: 23 in (58.42 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Culver City, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: MOD2761stDibs: LU87896295843
Willy Guhl
Decades prior to the mass popularity of neo-industrial cement floors and furniture taking shape, there was Willy Guhl. The Swiss creative is considered one of the first “industrial” designers in his home country. He pioneered a rugged, organic style of modern furniture and decor — stylish planters, shapely seating and lots more — that remains widely coveted by many today.
Guhl was born in 1915 in Stein am Rhein and worked as a carpenter before beginning studies at the Zurich School of Applied Arts (known today as the Zurich University of the Arts), where he would go on to teach for nearly 40 years.
While Guhl is well-known for his range of provocative garden elements as well as his patio and outdoor furniture, today’s legion of mid-century modern enthusiasts are likely familiar with the designer’s iconic Loop chair (introduced in 1954). For this sculptural seat and other furnishings, Guhl tended toward industrial materials, which he bent and shaped into organic forms for a striking juxtaposition. Much of his work is crafted from either concrete or Eternit, a mixture of cement and asbestos developed by the Belgian company Etex, which, in the 1950s, commissioned Guhl and his students at the School of Applied Arts to conceive planters in the material. The resulting vessels — some hourglass-shaped, some in the form of handkerchiefs, all suitable for indoors or exteriors — remain some of Guhl’s most collectible pieces.
Guhl’s affiliation with the Swiss “neo-functional” movement centered on the idea of simplifying design without sacrificing form. According to Guhl, his mission was “achieving the most with the minimum of effort.”
In addition to his work as a designer, Guhl left his mark on subsequent creatives through his 39-year tenure at his alma mater, where he was instructor to the likes of Robert Haussmann, Kurt Thut and Bruno Rey. Modern-day shoppers at IKEA owe Guhl a debt of gratitude too. He was an early advocate of flat-pack furniture, championing its ability to make good design more widely accessible.
At its core, though, Guhl’s work was inherently human-centric: “At the center of my efforts, I put people and their living requirements,” he once said. “My products must be useful to people.” Guhl died in 2004 at the age of 89.
Find a range of vintage Willy Guhl furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- Willy Guhl Hexagon Planters, Switzerland circa 1950Located in Culver City, CAWilly Guhl Hexagon Planters Switzerland circa 1950 Hexagonal form with natural patina. 39”w x 34”d x 12”hCategory
20th Century Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsCast Stone
$1,800 / item - Marble & Iron Orangery Garden Table, England circa 1850Located in Culver City, CAMarble & Iron Orangery Garden Table England circa 1850 Originally from an Orangery in England. Ornate cast iron base with original weathered marble top. Measures 22”dia x 31.75”hCategory
Antique Mid-19th Century English Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsMarble, Iron
$2,400 Sale Price25% Off - Lounge Chair by Audoux & Minet, France circa 1950Located in Culver City, CALounge Chair by Audoux & Minet France Circa 1950 Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet lounge chair from France, 1950s. Curved bentwood arms with dark stain on wood, with original rope seat....Category
20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsRope, Wood
- Cast Stone Garden Statue of a Maiden, France circa 1950Located in Culver City, CACast stone statue with weathered patina.Category
Vintage 1950s French Classical Greek Statues
MaterialsCast Stone
- Chloride Gents of Leicester Station Clock, England circa 1950Located in Culver City, CAChloride gents of Leicester station clock England Circa 1950 Measures: 25.25”W x 27”D x 4”H.Category
Mid-20th Century English Wall Clocks
MaterialsMetal
- Primitive Mirror, France, circa 1950Located in Culver City, CAPrimitive mirror. France, circa 1950 Measures: 26”W x 4”D x 29”H.Category
20th Century French Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Pair of Willy Guhl Loop Chairs, SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAFantastic pair of cement chairs by Swiss designer Willy Guhl for Eternit. Brand new. Hand made in Switzerland. Newly produced. Priced as a pair. One of the most iconic chairs ever de...Category
2010s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
$6,000 / set - Willy Guhl Loop Chair, SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAFantastic cement chair by Swiss designer Willy Guhl for Eternit. Brand new. Hand mage in Switzerland. One of the most iconic chairs ever designed. Priced as a single chair.Category
2010s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl for Eternit, Loop ChairBy Willy GuhlLocated in Sao Paulo, SPArmchair "Loop Chair" in cement made by Swiss designer Willy Guhl at the end of the 1950's. In Brazil, these chairs were made by "Eternit". Nowadays they are cultuated worldwide beca...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
$3,000 Sale Price / item25% Off - Vintage Willy Guhl Concrete Loop ChairsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAIconic pair of concrete loop chairs by Willy Guhl. This pair of chairs were designed by Willy Guhl in 1954 after Guhl watched as the Eternit pan...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
$16,000 / set - Pair of Concrete Loop Chair Design by Willy Guhl, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in leucate, FRTwo concrete beach or pool lounge chairs. Loop model created by designer Willy Guhl in the 1950s. The Loop chair features a single sheet of sea...Category
Mid-20th Century French Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsConcrete
- Pair of Mid-century Willy Guhl armchairs 'Loop Chairs' for EternitBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Baambrugge, NLPair of Mid-century Willy Guhl armchairs for Eternit. These 'Loop Chair' lounge/garden chairs by Willy Guhl were made in the 1950s from a continuous concrete slab. Switzerland, ca. 1...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsConcrete
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Should You Reupholster Your Antique Furniture?
Absolutely, says a design dealer known for his stunning transformations of old furniture with new fabric.
A California Tastemaker Curates a Tudor-Style House Unlike Any Other
Ray Azoulay, a fashion industry veteran who runs a successful L.A. gallery, is a creative force with high-profile devotees, some of whom are lucky enough to work with him on interior design projects.