Willy Guhl Pod Chairs 'Set'
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26.5 in (67.31 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Composition,Cast
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5101217039631
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Willy Guhl Pair of TroughsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIAs of the mid-20th century, the work of Willy Guhl was a revolutionary feat of industry and design with a distinct style that transcends decades. True to form and function, Guhl work...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsComposition
- Willy Guhl Vintage Tilted PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIAs of the mid-20th century, the work of Willy Guhl was a revolutionary feat of industry and design with a distinct style that transcends decades. True to form and function, Guhl worked with a mixture of cement and asbestos from Eternit. The lightweight material was groundbreaking, uncompromising form and structure with an emphasis on functionality. These beautiful tilted planters...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsComposition
- Willy Guhl Shallow Bowl FormBy Willy GuhlLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIFleurdetroit presents for your consideration this shallow bowl designed by Willy Guhl. As of the mid-20th century, the work of Willy Guhl was a revolutio...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsComposition
- Small Hankerchief Willy GuhlLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIFleurdetroit presents for your consideration, this fantastic Willy Guhl hankerchief palnter ..... TWO available SOLD individually As of the mid-20th century, the work of Willy Guhl...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsCement
- Early Vintage Table and Chairs in the Style of Harry Bertoia for Knoll, Set of 3By Harry BertoiaLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIKnoll historian Brian Lutz once said “Bertoia’s paintings were better than his sculptures. And his sculptures were better than his furniture. And his furniture was absolutely brilliant.” This original table and chair set is a fabulous find...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Midcentury Iron Folding ChairsLocated in Bloomfield Hills, MIFor your consideration, a stunning set of four folding garden chairs. Based on models from the late 19th century, these iron chairs are in excellent stable condition and ready for an...Category
Mid-20th Century French Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsIron
- Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Hand made in Switzerland by Eternit in the 1960s. Gorgeous patina. Factory drill...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
- Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Hand made in Switzerland by Eternit in the 1960s. Gorgeous patina. Factory drill...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
- Willy Guhl and Robert Pansart Red Pod Chair in Cement, 1969By Willy Guhl, Robert PansartLocated in Santa Gertrudis, BalearesExtremely rare iconic pod chair attributed to Willy Guhl, Many experts agree that this Pod Chair is actually the work of Robert Pansart, better known for his mirrors than for this ma...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCement
- 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
- Willy Guhl Loop Chairs and Table Set, 1960s, SwitzerlandBy Willy Guhl, Ludwig Walser, EternitLocated in Los Angeles, CAWonderful pair of concrete 'loop' chairs by Willy Guhl with a table/stool by Ludwig Walser. A beautiful pastel rouge color on one chair and a pastel violet on the other with the tabl...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
- 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