Concrete Outdoor Mid-Century "Loop" Stools by Ludwig Walser / Willy Guhl
View Similar Items
Concrete Outdoor Mid-Century "Loop" Stools by Ludwig Walser / Willy Guhl
About the Item
- Creator:Eternit (Manufacturer),Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 16.54 in (42.02 cm)Width: 16.54 in (42.02 cm)Depth: 24.41 in (62.01 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- 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: LU160825074573
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.
- Swiss Design Eternit Concrete Stool by Ludwig Walser, Special EditionBy Eternit, Ludwig WalserLocated in Renens, CHHandcrafted Eternit stool or Hocker designed by Ludwig Walser in 1959, introduced during the horticultural exhibition (G59) in Zürich in that same year. This footstool is consider...Category
Late 20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsConcrete
- Ludwig Walser for Eternit Concrete StoolBy Ludwig WalserLocated in Los Angeles, CARare concrete stool by Ludwig Walter for Eternit. Sometimes attributed to Willy Guhl. Same timeframe and factory, different designer. Seldom seen for sale. Great patina. Perfect outd...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsConcrete
- Concrete Stool by Ludwig Walser for Eternit, 1959, SwitzerlandBy Ludwig WalserLocated in Los Angeles, CARare concrete stool by Ludwig Walter for Eternit. Perfectly handcrafted concrete Eternit stool designed by Ludwig Walser in 1959, introduced during the horticultural exhibition (G59)...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Stools
MaterialsConcrete
- Vintage Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Chair, 1970s, SwitzerlandBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Malibu, USIconic vintage Loop Chair by Swiss neo-functionalist and industrial design pioneer Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland, circa 1970. A mid-century classic like no other, the Loop Ch...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCement
- Vintage Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Chair, 1970s, SwitzerlandBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Malibu, USIconic vintage Loop Chair by Swiss neo-functionalist and industrial design pioneer Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland, circa 1970. A mid-century classic like no other, the Loop Ch...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCement
- Vintage Willy Guhl Concrete Loop Chair, 1960s, SwitzerlandBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Malibu, USIconic vintage Loop Chair by Swiss neo-functionalist and industrial design pioneer Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland, circa 1970. A mid-century classic like no other, the Loop Ch...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCement