Pair of Patinated Brutalist Willy Guhl Chairs for Eternit, circa 1950s
View Similar Items
Pair of Patinated Brutalist Willy Guhl Chairs for Eternit, circa 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Eternit (Maker),Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 20.87 in (53 cm)Width: 21.66 in (55 cm)Depth: 30.71 in (78 cm)Seat Height: 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Brutalist (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU227639965103
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.
- A Pair of Cherrywood Armchairs attributed to Etienne-Henri Martin, circa 1937By Jean PascaudLocated in London, GBExquisite form, patina and quality. With scroll arms, sabre legs and elliptical scalloped back. Finished in Skai nappa faux leather.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Cherry
- Pair of Ebonised Anglo-Indian Side Tables, circa 1860Located in London, GBIndia, circa 1860 A beautiful pair of turned ebonised Anglo-Indian side tables with stretched cowhide. Wonderful style and patina. Dimensions: H 30cm x W 37cm X D 37cm.Category
Antique 1850s Indian Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Rare Chair from the Cabinet of the Deutscher Bundestag, circa 1949Located in London, GBBelieved to be one of only three chairs remaining that were designed for the cabinet of Deutscher Bundestag the first democratic Germany, circa 1949. Design elegance and exceptional ...Category
Vintage 1940s German Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Pair of Large Carved Moba Tchitchiri Sculptural Figures, Togo, circa 1930Located in London, GBStriking in form, of light highly textured wood, two highly stylized anthropomorphic figures carved by the Moba people in Togo, West Africa. These forms most probably we owned by a f...Category
Vintage 1930s Togolese Tribal Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsWood
- An original Venini mid-century table lamp in opaque white Murano glass, 1950sLocated in London, GBAn original opaque Murano glass table lamp with ribbed detail by Venini - Venice, Italy. With original high quality vintage brass fittings. Beautiful and sumptuous quality. We can...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Table Lamps
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Liberty, a Patinated Lead Figurative Sculpture, France, c1900Located in London, GBA solid lead cast Art Nouveau statue of lady Liberty rendered in very fine detail, with exquisite aged patination. An immensely romantic depiction with incredible movement, flowing c...Category
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsMetal, Lead
- 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
- Pair of Concrete Loop Chair Design by Willy Guhl, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in leucate, FRTwo concrete beach or pool lounge chairs. Loop model created by designer Willy Guhl in the 1950s. The Loop chair features a single sheet of sea...Category
Mid-20th Century French Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsConcrete
- Ovoide armchair by Willy Guhl for Eternit 1950sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in PARIS, FRThe Ovoid armchair designed by Willy Guhl in the 1950s illustrates this Swiss industrial design pioneer's interest in Eternit, the fibro-cement originally developed for roofs and pip...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsCement
- Pair of Loop Armchairs by Willy Guhl for Eternit Switzerland 1950sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in PARIS, FRArmchair loop by willy guhl for the Swiss company eternit. Their collaboration began in the early 50's with a desire on the part of the Swiss firm to create garden furniture from the...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsCement
- Pair of Concrete Ball Armchairs, Design by Willy Guhl, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in leucate, FRPair of ball armchairs created by designer Willy Guhl in the late 1960s. Sculptural armchairs, organic design reminiscent of a mushroom. Ideal for a ...Category
Mid-20th Century French Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsConcrete
- Pair of Vintage Loop Armchairs by Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland, 1950By Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in PARIS, FRLoop armchair by Willy Guhl for the Swiss company Eternit. Their collaboration began in the early 1950s with a desire on the part of the Swiss firm to create garden furniture from th...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsCement