Spanish brand Kettal celebrates 50 years iconic outdoor furniture design

In 50 years, Spanish brand Kettal has gone from producing one simple aluminium folding chair to becoming one of the most renowned designers of high-end outdoor furniture in the world.

Manuel Alorda launched the company in 1966 and after decades of research and innovation, the brand is now sold across the world and collaborates with some of the largest names on the design scene.

Despite its success, Kettal has stayed true to its roots. Still a family-run business, Manuel's son, Alex, is now at the helm, and all the design and production continue to take place in Bellvei, Tarragona, where the company was founded.

The product range is worlds apart from what was first offered in the 1960s. In 1994 Kettal began collaborating with well-known product designers. Since then its in-house design team, known as Kettal Studio, has worked with design giants like Jasper Morrison, Patricia Urquiola, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Doshi Levien, Hella Jongerius and Rodolfo Dordoni.

Together with them, Kettal has released a series of groundbreaking lines. While its go-to material remains aluminium, the company ploughs extensive research into the development and use of new materials, and among other things, has created a range of outdoor textiles.

Urquiola in particular has taken the company's love of aluminium and seen it used in unconventional and new ways. She won the AD Architecture Design Award in 2008 for her work on the Maia Collection.

"The piece I identify with most is the Relax armchair," she says of the collection. "I like finding the most suitable material for each project. Working on technologically developed materials using craft techniques, or using an industrial process on a material from the past."

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Despite its passion for innovation, Kettal focuses on producing practical, timeless pieces, and this has gained it popularity in homes, hotels and resorts. Its pieces can be found across the world, from the terrace of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Moscow to the Savoy Resort & Spa in the Seychelles.

It's not often that a family business crosses the 50-year mark. That said, a fine balance between staying true to its roots, yet constantly keeping up with the times, has provided a winning formula, that will surely see Kettal keep on keeping on.

Kettal is stocked locally at Marlanteak and Casarredo. Visit Kettal.com