Willy Guhl Loop Chairs

About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 21 in (53.34 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Seat Height: 4 in (10.16 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU808034066612
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.
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return Policy
This item cannot be returned.
- Willy Guhl CubesBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAUnique set of painted Willy Guhl cubes in a dark brown. Produced in 1960's Switzerland by Eternity. Set of 5 in original vintage patina. Sold as a...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$10,500 - Willy Guhl PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWilly Guhl "Diablo" shaped concrete pots. Multiple sizes and quantities of each available. This listing is for 31.5" H x 17.75.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$2,400 / item - Willy Guhl MirrorBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWilly Guhl mirror with fantastic patina'd thick signature cement frame and new mirror 2 sizes available / multiple quantities.Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Wall Mirrors
MaterialsCement
$1,800 / item - Willy Guhl TriangleBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAUnique triangle shaped Willy Guhl planter with wonderful patina.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
MaterialsConcrete
$2,500 - Willy Guhl BookcaseBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAIncredible Concrete modular bookcase by Willy Guhl, Switzerland, 1960s Individual concrete cubes can be arranged in variety of shapes to suit whatever space. Wonderful warm patina ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Bookcases
MaterialsConcrete
$24,500 - Willy Guhl Handkerchief PlanterBy Willy GuhlLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWilly Guhl for Eternit Handkerchief planter with sculptural clean lines Great patina.Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
MaterialsConcrete
- 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
$2,500 / item - 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 - 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 - 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
- Willy Guhl Concrete "Loop" Chair for Eternit, SwitzerlandBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in The Hague, NLA midcentury classic like no other, the loop chair designed by Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland. The chair first designed in 1954, but till these da...Category
Late 20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsCement
- Willy Guhl Loop Chairs and Table Set, 1960s, SwitzerlandBy Eternit, Willy Guhl, Ludwig WalserLocated 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
Recently Viewed
View MoreThe 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Trusted Global Delivery