Willy Guhl Loop Chair for Eternit, 1990s
View Similar Items
Willy Guhl Loop Chair for Eternit, 1990s
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer),Eternit (Manufacturer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 24.02 in (61 cm)Width: 21.26 in (54 cm)Depth: 31.11 in (79 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1989
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:ABCOUDE, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6852230195772
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.
- Luigi Colani Lounge Chair For Kusch & Co Germany 1968By Luigi Colani, Kusch+CoLocated in ABCOUDE, UTIncredible and comfortable lounge chair designed by Luigi Colani and manufactured by Kusch & Co, Germany 1968. This model is very rare, as it was a limited production for just a few ...Category
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Angelo Magniarotti for Cassina model 1110 lounge chair, Italy 1960sBy Angelo Mangiarotti, CassinaLocated in ABCOUDE, UTA very rare lounge chair designed by Angelo Mangiarotti, manufactured by Cassina in Italy, circa 1960. This model, nr. 1110, is extremely hard to find and absolutely stunning design....Category
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair Of Gianfranco Frattini Model 831 Lounge Chairs For Cassina, 1950sBy Gianfranco Frattini, CassinaLocated in ABCOUDE, UTIncredible pair of model 831 chairs by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1950s. These model chairs are exceptionally rare. The fantastic design by renowned Italian designer Gianfranco...Category
Vintage 1950s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bentwood
- Pair Of Hartmut Lohmeyer Model 400 Lounge Chairs For Wilkhahn, 1959By Hartmut Lohmeyer, WilkhahnLocated in ABCOUDE, UTNice pair of lounge chairs in teak and cane model 400 by Hartmut Lohmeyer for Wilkhahn, 1960s. A timeless design, with a woven cane seating and backrest and a solid teak frame. The c...Category
Vintage 1950s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBouclé, Cane, Teak
- Sunball Chair by Günter Ferdinand Ris and Herbert Selldorf for Rosenthal, 1969By Rosenthal, Günter Ferdinand Ris, Herbert SelldorfLocated in ABCOUDE, UTOne of only 50 ever produced sunball chairs by Günter Ferdinand Ris and Herbert Selldorf for Rosenthal, 1969. This particular one has water resisting up...Category
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Elda Lounge Chair In Black Leather By Joe Colombo For Comfort Italy 1970sBy Joe Colombo, Comfort, ItalyLocated in ABCOUDE, UTIconic design chair by top designer Joe Colombo. The Elda chairs were produced by Comfort Italy from the early 60s. The rotating white fiberglass shell gives the chair a clean look a...Category
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass
- 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
- Loop Chairs by Willy Guhl for Eternit, 2utsBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Barcelona, ESPair of Loop chairs designed by Willy Guhl and produced by Eternit Brazil. Both chairs have a nice patina, given by years of wear, the fiber cement structure is in really good condit...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCement
$15,554 / set - Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Chairs, 1st EditionBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Untersiggenthal, AGIconic furniture design by Willy Guhl. This chairs was designed by Willy Guhl in 1954 after Guhl watched as the Eternit panels left a machine at the Eternit factory in Niederurnen. The Loop chair...Category
Vintage 1950s European Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCement
- 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
$7,875 / set - 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 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