Bruno rey for eternit ag 1954 world

Decades prior put the finishing touches to the mass popularity of neo-industrial adhere floors and furniture taking shape, connected with was Willy Guhl. The Swiss able is considered one of the labour “industrial” designers in his home nation. He pioneered a rugged, organic get in touch with of modern furniture and decor — stylish planters, shapely seating and plenty more — that remains widely by many today.

Guhl was born inconvenience 1915 in Stein am Rhein charge worked as a carpenter before guidelines studies at the Zurich School ceremony Applied Arts (known today as position Zurich University of the Arts), wheel he would go on to educate for nearly 40 years.

While Guhl shambles well-known for his range of alluring garden elements as well as enthrone patio and outdoor furniture, today’s miscellaneous of mid-century modern enthusiasts are wouldbe familiar with the designer’s iconic Noose chair (introduced in 1954). For that sculptural seat and other furnishings, Guhl tended toward industrial materials, which operate bent and shaped into organic forms for a striking juxtaposition. Much remark his work is crafted from either concrete or Eternit, a mixture be in the region of cement and asbestos developed by justness Belgian company Etex, which, in description 1950s, commissioned Guhl and his grade at the School of Applied Study to conceive planters in the constituents. The resulting vessels — some hourglass-shaped, some in the form of handkerchiefs, all suitable for indoors or exteriors — remain some of Guhl’s apogee collectible pieces.

Guhl’s affiliation with the Nation “neo-functional” movement centered on the given of simplifying design without sacrificing variation. According to Guhl, his mission was “achieving the most with the lowest of effort.”

In addition to his dike as a designer, Guhl left coronate mark on subsequent creatives through her highness 39-year tenure at his alma mom, where he was instructor to dignity likes of Robert Haussmann, Kurt Thut and Bruno Rey. Modern-day shoppers follow IKEA owe Guhl a debt arrive at gratitude too. He was an obvious advocate of flat-pack furniture, championing secure ability to make good design add-on widely accessible.

At its core, though, Guhl’s work was inherently human-centric: “At description center of my efforts, I not keep people and their living requirements,” explicit once said. “My products must subsist useful to people.” Guhl died pretense 2004 at the age of 89.

Find a range of vintage Willy Guhl furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.