kettalband

structure taken apart

Urquiola set out to break the structure down. Where most chairs hide their frame behind continuous curves, Band is an ensemble of separate pieces repeated at angles, so the chair reads almost like a diagram of itself. That schematic quality is meant as a challenge to the polished outline dining chairs usually aim for. It also puts the raw material first: in either version the eye goes to the metal or the wood, with nothing laid over it.

There are three shapes, and each exists in both materials. The plain chair and the chair with armrests are the dining pieces; the garden armchair is the club armchair for a lounge corner. A Kettal Band chair in teak and one in aluminum share their geometry exactly, so a single terrace can hold both, for example teak around the table and aluminum out by the pool where splashes are constant.

Choosing between the two is mostly a question of climate and upkeep. Aluminum stays as it arrived, asks for little care and does not corrode in salt air. Teak left unoiled turns a soft silver gray over a season or two, which many owners prefer; regular oiling holds the warmer tone longer. Terrain is the textile Kettal names for the collection, and the fabric parts are the ones to cover during long wet stretches.

Band suits a dining area that needs one clear graphic element: against a plain stucco wall, on a stone terrace, under a pergola with strong beams. It also mixes well with rounder Kettal outdoor furniture, where its angles give the eye something firm to rest on. Six versions give enough range to seat a full table in one material and add club armchairs in the other.

A chair drawn as a diagram of its own parts.