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 Concrete Cube Side Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Add a brutalist flare to your interior with this piece by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. A sculptural concrete cube with a hollow interior and curved edges, this object would make for a...
Concrete
$3,200
Willy Guhl Loop Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Willy Guhl Loop table is an icon of Swiss modernist furniture design. The Loop Table (also known as the Beach Table) was designed by Swiss in...
Cement
Willy Guhl Modular Concrete Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Add a brutalist flare to your interior with this piece by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. A sculptural concrete rectangle with a hollow interior and curved edges, this object is incredib...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Concrete Drum Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic drum table by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Great scale and unique shape. Suitable for indoor and outdoors. Only one available. New pencil edge glass top. Stunnin...
Cement
Modular Side Table by Willy Guhl for Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1954
By Willy Guhl, Eternit
Located in Antwerp, BE
Willy Guhl’s modular cubic side table for Eternit AG, handmade in Switzerland in 1954. This rare piece exemplifies Guhl’s groundbreaking design approach, crafted with precision from ...
Concrete, Cement
$8,500 / item
Willy Guhl Table with built in Planters
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Unique Willy Guhl Table with built in Planters 3x planter with yellow patina Original construction of fiber cement Switzerland, 1960s
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete and Glass Side Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Industrial Willy Guhl concrete table for Eternit, fitted with new pieces of glass for each shelf. This table is made using a unique concrete fiber cement that is reminiscent of the p...
Concrete
$3,320Sale Price|20% Off
Willy Guhl barbecue dinning table
By Willy Guhl
Located in grand Lancy, CH
very rare concrete Willy Guhl barbecue dinning table , the center of the table , metal part is missing
Concrete
$4,800
Willy Guhl Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Willy Guhl Wavy Table/Stool, Switzerland Original construction of cement fiber. Fantastic patina Only one table available for purchase — left table in main image
Cement
Willy Guhl Light Up Concrete Side Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning concrete side table with built in lamp by Eternit. Made in Swizterland. Newly rewired. Gorgeous piece of collectible design. Can be used indoors...
Concrete
$10,500 / set
Willy Guhl Cow Sculpture/Planter
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Unique rare shaped Willy Guhl planter in the shape of a cow ! Switzerland, 1960's Fantastic patina Consists of two large sized planters
Cement
Blue Modern Sculptural Vintage Willy Guhl Loop Coffee Table, 1995, Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Vienna, AT
Blue modern vintage Loop coffee table by Willy Guhl (1915-2004). This coffee table is a futuristic beautiful coffee table or sofa table. The futurist...
Cement
$17,600Sale Price / set|44% Off
H 94.49 in W 14.18 in D 133.86 in
Willy Guhl 46 Piece Modular Concrete Cube Bookcase, 1978 Switzerland
By Willy Guhl, Eternit
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Stunning monumental 46 piece concrete bookcase by Willy Guhl. Made up of 2 different sized hand-made concrete cubes.36 big size and 10 small size, Completely modular and able to be ...
Concrete
$4,642 / item
H 15.75 in Dm 15.75 in
Small Table, Side Table, End table Samu Made of Solid Wood by NONO
By Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Introducing the Samu Collection by NONO, where simplicity meets elegance in the form of sculptural stools, side tables, and plinths. Each piece in this collection boasts a gently dom...
Hardwood
Willy Guhl Handkerchief Concrete Planter
By Willy Guhl
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Reinforced cement fiber board "Handkerchief" planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland circa 1960's.
Concrete
$1,900Sale Price|34% Off
H 31 in Dm 18 in
Willy Guhl for Eternit 'Diablo' Concrete Hourglass Planters, c 1968
By Eternit, Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredibly gorgeous 31" tall and 18" diameter 'Diablo' concrete spindel planters by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, circa 1968, Switzerland. These sculptural hourglass shaped concrete planters have a grey exterior finish, one darker grey and the other two are light grey. Three available, priced individually. If you are purchasing less than all three, please message us with which one(s) you wish us to ship. We have a large collection of Willy Guhl for Eternit pots, planters, garden objects, jardinières, and patio furniture. We always have inventory in Diablo's, Tilted and Cone Planters, box and rectangular Guhl...
Concrete
Willy Rizzo Coffee Table
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Miami, FL
Willy Rizzo 2-tier rectangular coffee table or side sofa, model Flaminia.
Brass
S Table
Located in Ridgewood, NY
The S table is a simple concept for a simple table, though defined more by our commitment to sustainability of ingredients (and quality) than just its simple v...
Mahogany
$4,200 / set
H 22.05 in W 21.26 in D 31.5 in
Pair of Willy Guhl 'Loop' Garden Chairs Eternit Switzerland 1954
By Eternit, Willy Guhl
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Iconic pair of Loop Chairs and Table by Swiss neo-functionalist and industrial design pioneer Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland, 1954 A mid-century classic like no other, the Loop...
Cement
French Slate Round Table
Located in Houston, TX
A vintage round slate table with a base that is made up of two interlocking pieces. These pieces come from the Ardennes area of France.
Slate
$5,952Sale Price|8% Off
H 11.82 in W 47.25 in D 31.5 in
Iconic Willy Rizzo coffee table in Mirror and Metal 1970's
By Willy Rizzo, Cidue
Located in Milano, IT
Mirrored coffee table Willy Rizzo for Cidue Timeless and minimal rectangular coffee table with top mirror and stainless steel edging all supported by a solid timber frame recessed ...
Stainless Steel
$1,950Sale Price|32% Off
H 14.25 in Dm 25 in
Willy Guhl for Eternit Tilted Spindle Concrete Planter, circa 1968, Signed
By Eternit, Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful tilted spindle concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, circa 1968, Switzerland. This special 'tilted' hourglass shaped concrete spindel planter has a ...
Concrete
$3,848 / set
H 10.63 in W 12.6 in D 16.42 in
Set of 5 SPACE-AGE Concrete BOOKCASES by WILLY GUHL for ETERNIT, Swiss 1970
By Willy Guhl
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of 5 (on a total of 20 identical pieces!!!) modular concrete bookcases, Modernist, Free Form, Brutalist, rectangular loop cases with rounded edges, with a great grey patina wit...
Concrete
Willy Guhl for Eternit Concrete Planters
By Willy Guhl
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Willy Guhl for Eternit concrete planters.
Concrete
Willy Guhl Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Willy Guhl curved table or stool with wavy base and flat top Great white patina Original construction of cement fiber.
Cement
Flower Planter "Spindel" in Fiberglass by Willy Guhl for Eternit, c. 1960s
By Willy Guhl
Located in New York, NY
This planter is part of the Eternit fiber-cement vase collection, designed by Swiss industrial design pioneer Willy Guhl (1915–2004), who is also known for creating the iconic Loop C...
Fiberglass
Willy Guhl Modular Concrete Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Add a brutalist flare to your interior with this piece by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. A sculptural concrete rectangle with a hollow interior and curved edges, this object is incredib...
Concrete
Sculptural Willy Guhl Table/Sandbox
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Incredible rare Willy Guhl Coffee Table that also turns into a sandbox or planter? Lid rests on top of curved undulated base - which can function as a lid for a sandbox. Wonderfu...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Concrete Cube Side Table, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sculptural concrete cube side table by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Handmade in Switzerland in the early 1960s. Produced by Eternit. Age and weather has given this piece an inimitable...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Willy Guhl loop table is an icon of Swiss modernist furniture design. The loop table (also known as the beach table) was designed by Swiss in...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Concrete Hexagon Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic hexagon table by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Great scale and unique shape. Suitable for indoor and outdoors. Only one available. New pencil edge glass top. Stun...
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete and Glass Side Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique Willy Guhl concrete table for Eternit. New pieces of tempered glass for each shelf. Perfect side table for indoors or outside. Unusual piece. Three available in different pati...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Willy Guhl "loop" coffee table, Switzerland, 1954 Original construction of cement fiber.
Cement
Willy Guhl Loop Stool Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1954
By Willy Guhl
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice loop stool designed by Willy Guhl for Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1954. This rare stool is designed by Willy Guhl are made of cellulose infused fiber cement like concrete, whi...
Concrete
Rare Willy Guhl Colorful Pots
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare colorful Diablo hourglass pots that can be flipped to also be used as a stool or table! Fantastic color and patina, priced individually.
Concrete
Willy Guhl Side Table Eternit AG Switzerland, 1954
By Willy Guhl
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare garden side table designed by Willy Guhl and manufactured by Eeternit AG, Switzerland, 1954. This rare table matches the loop chairs designed by Guhl and this originally belonge...
Concrete