A Family-Run Company Gracefully Shifts from Aluminum Folding Chairs to High-End Outdoor Furniture

Pavilion-like shade structures and sofas composed of intricately woven straps are a far cry from the humble aluminum folding chair, but for Kettal, the Barcelona-based outdoor design company, they are borne from the same spirit of innovation and reinvention. When Manuel Alorda founded Kettal in 1964, the first product he sold was one such metal seat. With his son, Alex Alorda, at the helm since 2006, the company has built a collection of technically rigorous and aesthetically daring furniture. Here, the Alordas brief us on design culture, the inherent difficulty of outdoor furniture manufacturing, and how they work with venerated designers like Patricia Urquiola, Jasper Morrison, and Hella Jongerius.