Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter
View Similar Items
Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18.3 in (46.49 cm)Diameter: 29.2 in (74.17 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1853313300342
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.
- Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped PlanterBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Especially unique in that the base matches the top with pointed facets. Great vintage condit...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Beautiful patinas. Great vintage condition. 3 available as shown in this listing. Priced ind...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Base is also faceted. Beautiful patinas. Great vintage condition. 2 available as shown in th...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. A variety of patina Great vintage condition. 3 available as shown in this listing. Priced in...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planters by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Especially unique in that the base matches the top with pointed facets. Great vintage condi...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item - Willy Guhl Chalice Shaped Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Gorgeous patinas and lichen on these planters. Great vintage condition. 3 available as shown...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$3,000 / item
- Set of Two Willy Guhl Tilted Concrete PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Bradenton, FLA wonderfully patinated pair of tilted or off-kilter planters that were designed by Willy Guhl. Made from fibrous cement. Beautifully weathered over the decades, making them unique v...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$2,450 / set - Set of Two Willy Guhl Tilted Concrete PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Bradenton, FLA wonderfully patinated pair of tilted or off-kilter planters that were designed by Willy Guhl. Made from fibrous cement. Beautifully weathered over the decades, making them unique v...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$2,450 / set - Large Square Ribbed Planters Designed by Willy GuhlBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Woodbury, CTDesigned by the iconic Willy Guhl in the 1960s and made of strong and lightweight fiber cement by Eternit, SA of Switzerland, these square planters sport a great natural patina and a...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsOther
Unavailable$1,375 - Rare, Very Large Architectural Planter by Willy GuhlBy Willy GuhlLocated in New York, NYRare, very large planter / jardinière / architectural element in fiber concrete by Willy Guhl. The piece is a Minimalist sculpture in a sleek, t...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Set of 2 Chalice shaped planters by Willy Guhl, 1970sBy Willy GuhlLocated in amstelveen, NLA unique set of 2 concrete planters by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of a chalice. Signed 1972. This shape is not common and hard to find. Great patina. Would m...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Rare Willy Guhl for Eternit Stackable Planters Mid-CenturyBy Willy GuhlLocated in St.Petersburg, FLRare stackable planters by Willy Guhl for Eternit. Each one stamped on the bottom. Three yellow and three grey or concrete available. Planters have ...Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres