Pair of Willy Guhl Lamps
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 19.75 in (50.17 cm)Width: 11.25 in (28.58 cm)Depth: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Lampshade:Included
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Rewired. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU808038935162
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: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Pair of Tall Willy Guhl LampsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAHandsome pair of Willy Guhl table lamps with warm white patina and great slender scale. Newly rewired with new Linen shade.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsCement
- Willy Guhl LampsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAPair of Willy Guhl table lamps with great patina Newly rewired New Linen shadeCategory
Vintage 1950s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Table LampBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWilly Guhl concrete cube made into a table lamp with linen shade and teak wood. Priced individually. Wonderful blue-is patina Measure: Shade 12.25" x 12...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsCement
- Petite Willy Guhl LampsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAPair of petite scale lamps by Willy Guhl with new linen shade and concrete base. Teak wood and newly rewired Wonderful patina. Priced as a pair.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Table LampBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWilly Guhl table lamp in varying patina's New linen shade Pairs available.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsCement
- Willy Guhl Table LampBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAPetite Willy Guhl concrete table lamp with new linen shade Priced individually. Measures : H - 14.75" D - 9.25" L - 9.25".Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsCement
- Set of 4 Willy Guhl Concrete LampsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAFantastic set of rare concrete lamps by Willy Guhl for Eternit. 4 lamps in different heights. Circular cutouts allow light through. One bulb inside each lamp with hand switch on the ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Floor Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Pair of Willy Guhl Concrete Table Lamps, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning pair of large concrete Willy Guhl lamps by Eternit with teak top cover. Concrete made in Swizterland. Newly fitted as a lamp, re-wired with a new custom linen shade and ligh...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Pair of Willy Guhl Concrete Table Lamps, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning pair concrete Willy Guhl lamps by Eternit with teak top cover. Concrete made in Swizterland. Newly fitted as a lamp, re-wired with a new custom linen shade with rounded edge...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Concrete Table Lamp, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning concrete Willy Guhl lamp by Eternit with teak top cover. Concrete made in Swizterland. Newly fitted as a lamp, re-wired with a new custom linen shade with rounded edges and ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Concrete Table Lamp, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning concrete Willy Guhl lamp by Eternit with teak top cover. Concrete made in Swizterland. Newly fitted as a lamp, re-wired with a new custom linen shade and light diffusor on t...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Large Concrete Table Lamp, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning concrete Willy Guhl lamp by Eternit with teak top cover. Concrete made in Swizterland. Newly fitted as a lamp, re-wired with a new custom linen shade with rounded edges and ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Table Lamps
MaterialsConcrete