Rare Garden Chair in Painted Concrete by Willy Guhl for Eternit, circa 1960
View Similar Items
Rare Garden Chair in Painted Concrete by Willy Guhl for Eternit, circa 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer),Edition Eternit (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Width: 28.35 in (72 cm)Depth: 20.48 in (52 cm)Seat Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Concrete,Cast
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. heavy patina due to external use.
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: 34791stDibs: f94841607205148303fs
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 Concrete Pod Chairs, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning pair of concrete pod chairs designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Hand made in Switzerland by Eternit in the 1960s. Gorgeous patina. Fact...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
Sold$17,000 / set - 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 - 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
- Pair of "Loop Chairs" by Willy Guhl, Produced by Eternit Brazil, 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in New York, NYPresenting an attractive loop shape, the Loop Chair was created by the Swiss designer Willy Guhl (1915-2004) in 1954, featuring a single volume of seats...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCement
- Vintage Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Chairs, 1960s, SwitzerlandBy 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 fiber ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement