Guhl

Willy Guhl's creations are easily identifiable, since they are made of asbestos cement. Among his most famous works are the Eternit seat (1954) and the Boule seat (circa 1960). Willy Guhl was born in Switzerland in 1915. Influenced by his carpenter father, he trained as a cabinetmaker. He then studied at the Zurich School of Applied Arts, before opening his own workshop in 1939. Willy Guhl, driven by a desire to pass on his knowledge, began teaching at the School of Applied Arts in 1941 and became director in 1951. At the same time, he began collaborating with Eternit AG, for whom he designed numerous pieces of furniture. He also worked for other companies, designing various ranges of furniture for public commissions. Willy Guhl made a major contribution to the housing institution's program to produce furniture for the reconstruction of Europe.It is important to note that in the Netherlands, trade in these pieces has been prohibited since 1994 due to the risk of asbestos fibre exposure, and this ban has applied to all EU and EEA countries since 2005.Read More