kettal insula

built for gathering

Urquiola took the seating of the Arab majlis as her model, the room where a community met to talk over local news and welcome guests. Its purpose was conversation, and Insula keeps that. The sofa is low and horizontal, with smooth rounded edges and a roll backrest that runs along the top like a bolster. It suits a group better than a single reader.

Construction is simple. An orthogonal aluminum base carries soft seat cushions. Seats come in two sizes, and the backrests are available as single, double and corner pieces, so the same parts can form a straight bench, an L or a square facing inward. The collection text lists office receptions and living rooms as well as terraces, so the sofa is meant to look finished anywhere.

The tables came a year later and work as separate objects. Urquiola described them as sculptural islands. The tops are ceramic finished in Glaze Agate, a deep mineral glaze with layered variations that recall rock strata. Ceramic does not fade in sun, so the glaze looks the same in August as on the day it arrives.

Aluminum under the cushions means no rust, even beside salt water, and outdoor upholstery benefits from dry storage in the wettest months. A Kettal Insula lounge is a good fit for a wide terrace or a pool deck where people sit for hours. Few other families of Kettal outdoor furniture are drawn this plainly around a group of people.

A low island of cushions made for long conversations.