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 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 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
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
Modular Side Table by Willy Guhl for Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1954
By Eternit, Willy Guhl
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
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
$826 / item
H 17.33 in W 9.85 in D 15.75 in
21st Century Concrete Contemporary Stool & Side Table, Light Grey Cement Color
By Gaia Rebecchini, Laura Mochi Onori, Lorenzo Rebecchini
Located in Rome, Lazio
The Tadao line, created in homage to the famous architect with whom we share a Minimalist approach and the creative use of the material, is the perfect synthesis of our philosophy: o...
Concrete
$2,379 / set
H 13 in W 9.5 in D 11.8 in
Pair of Hanging Bedside Tables in Solid Elm, House Regain, France, 1970s
By Maison Regain
Located in VILLERS-SUR-MER, FR
These original hanging tables are very interesting in a small bed room because of their size and fixing system. They can also be used as shells, they ar...
Elm
$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
$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
$2,058
H 31.7 in W 19.49 in D 19.49 in
Antique Sheraton Revival Hardwood & Satinwood Revolving Bookcase Side End Table
By Sheraton Revival
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine antique Sheraton Revival Mahogany & Satinwood revolving bookcase table A very good looking well made and decorative piece. Made i...
Hardwood, Satinwood
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
Pair of Oak Nightstand or Bedside Table
By Jean Royère
Located in London, GB
Same door handle
Oak
$2,400
H 16.54 in W 31.5 in D 19.69 in
Signed "Flaminia" Side Table by Willy Rizzo, Italy, circa 1970s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Geneva, CH
"Flaminia" signed side table by Willy Rizzo, Italy, circa 1970s Chrome and smoked glass. This table shows little variations with a similar one from Willy Rizzo also available in our ...
Chrome
Vintage Danish Teak Side Table, 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish teak side table, 1960s Elegant Danish Mid-century modern side or coffee table with underlying shelf. Table top with wrapped gri...
Teak
Willy Guhl Monumental Chalice Style Concrete Planter 1960s
By Willy Guhl
Located in Meer, VAN
Willy Guhl Monumental Chalice Style Concrete Planter, Switzerland, 1960s. This is a monumental mid century concrete planter by Willy Guhl. This chalice like design is one of his bes...
Concrete
$1,900Sale Price|34% Off
H 31 in Dm 18 in
Willy Guhl for Eternit 'Diablo' Concrete Hourglass Planter, c 1968
By Willy Guhl, Eternit
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. This sculptural hourglass shaped concrete planter has a grey exterior finish. The price is for a single Willy Guhl planter, we have the darker grey one showing in the main photo available. Some of the other ones have sold but contact us if you are looking for more Willy Guhl pots and planters. 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
$3,806 / 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 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 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 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 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 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
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
Willy Guhl Garden Stool Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1950
By Willy Guhl
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Super rare stool designed by Willy Guhl and manufactured by Eternit Ag, Switzerland, 1950. This rare stool was part of a set with two Guhl loop chairs and it can be used as stool or ...
Concrete
Willy Guhl Table
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Fantastic architectural table by Willy Guhl. Rounded cement pillars with steel bars. 3/4 inch glass table top is 32" diameter. Great patina. Excellent vintage condition. Chairs and t...
Cement