Willy Guhl was a Swiss designer active from the mid-20th century, recognised as a pioneer of modern industrial design and a leading figure of the Swiss “neo-functional” movement. Trained as a cabinetmaker before studying at the Zurich School of Applied Arts, he became known for designs that combined sculptural clarity with practical durability.
Guhl collaborated with the manufacturer Eternit from the early 1950s, creating his celebrated fibre-cement planters and outdoor furniture, including the Loop Chair, whose fluid form became an icon of post-war European design. His teaching at the Zurich School shaped a generation of designers, promoting an ethos of simplicity, material honesty, and human-centred form. Guhl’s work remains influential for its restrained modernism and innovative use of industrial materials.
