Willy Guhl Loop Chair and Side Table
View Similar Items
Willy Guhl Loop Chair and Side Table
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Maker)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 21 in (53.34 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Depth: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Seat Height: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU986427866272
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 Diabolo PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAWilly Guhl Diabolo Planters, fiber-reinforced concrete. Switzerland, 1960s. Each item is $2500. Only two planters available.Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$2,500 / item - Willy Guhl Diabolo PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAWilly Guhl Diabolo Planters, fiber-reinforced concrete. Switzerland, 1960s. Each item is $1800. Only 3 planters available.Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$1,800 / item - Willy Guhl Large Round Saucer PlanterBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAWilly Guhl (1915-2004): Saucer Planter. Manufactured by Eternit, Switzerland; fiber-reinforced concrete with drilled drain hole to center, with metal stand. Stamped serial number on ...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete, Metal
- Hans J. Wegner Ox Chairs, Model AP 46By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CABeautiful Ox chairs, model AP 46 by Hans J. Wegner. A.P. Stolen, Denmark, 1960. Black leather and matte-chromed steel, with manufacturer's label on the underside...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$29,000 / set - Alwy Visschedyk: Pair Of Chairs And TableLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of Chairs and Table by Alwy Visschedyk, 1970's, ash; and signed. Provenance: Property from a Beverly Hills, CA Estate Dimensions: Chairs: 37 x 16 x 23 in. (94 x 40.6 x 58.4 ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsAsh
$8,500 / set - Afra and Tobia Scarpa Soriana Lounge Chair and OttomanBy Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Los Angeles, CAAfra and Tobia Scarpa Soriana lounge chair and ottoman in great condition. Decal manufacturer's and distributor's labels to underside of ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Willy Guhl - "Loop" chairsBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in PAU, FRTwo concrete chairs named "Loop" created by Willy Guhl in the 1950s. Produced by Eternit, it is suitable for indoor and outdoor uses. Height : 53 cm Seat height : 28 cm Width : 55 cm...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsConcrete, Cement
$7,915 / set - Willy Guhl Loop ChairsBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Pair of Willy Guhl "Loop" chairs with great patina. Sold as a pair of 2 chairs - 2 sets available Original Eternit production - Switzerland, circa 1950s.Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Chairs
MaterialsCement
$17,000 / set - Willy Guhl Prototype Loop Chairs and TableBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAImportant set of concrete chairs and matching table. Likely a prototype for the widely known Loop Chairs. Extremely similar shape but more rounded and slightly roomier and more comfo...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
$21,500 / set - 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
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Loop Chairs and Table Set, 1960s, SwitzerlandBy Ludwig Walser, Willy Guhl, 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
$16,000 / set