DESIGNED IN 1954 BY WILLY GUHL, MANUFACTURED 1960'S BY ETERNIT A.G.

A teacher at the Technical College in Zurich, Guhl first began experimenting with ergonomoically shaped chair forms after participating in the 'Lo-Cost Furniture Design' competition at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1948. Not a material initially considered for use in furniture design, fibrated concrete was machine processed in slabs for use in building houses. The width of this chair is determined by the width of the existing slab, which is moulded into shape while the material is still moist. This straightforward process ensured that the chair could be effectively and economically mass produced. The manipulation of a single industrial material to create a complete and articulate chair form relates to the similar use of plywood explored by progressive designers during the 1930's.