The Mah Jong Modular Sofa by Roche Bobois Gets Dressed in Missoni
The furniture icon is a perennial favourite.
Launched in 1971 amidst a landscape of rock music, lava lamps, and shag carpets, Hans Hopfer’s Mah Jong sofa has become a defining piece in Roche Bobois’s catalogue of singular home furnishings. Borrowing its name from the traditional Chinese game involving strategic combinations of symbolic tiles, the low-slung sectional similarly comprises interchangeable plush components that can be stacked or aligned to offer near-endless configurations from generous lounges to conversation pits.
In the intervening years, the French manufacturer has revised the original design, adapting the system inspired by the bohemian vibe of the early ’70s to fit into sleek modernist interiors or ornate 16th-century palazzos.
For its 50th anniversary, the icon was reimagined with a series of platforms that elevate the line physically and conceptually. Roche Bobois also launched a new outdoor version, with bases made from openwork metal lacquered in a white, black, or grey high-performance coating to resist the elements. Whether for indoors or out, each cushion is padded, quilted, and hand-stitched in Italy, employing a level of craftsmanship more common to haute couture than objects of home decor.
Fittingly, renowned designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Kenzo Takada have “dressed” the collection in exclusive fabrics over the past five decades. For this season, Roche Bobois teamed up with Italian fashion house Missoni to translate the brand’s signature chevron knitwear pattern into bold outdoor upholstery featuring electric hues flowing from mint and lavender to marigold.
The motif of a second covering, available in soft pink or muted yellow, riffs on the angular perforations of the openwork metal podium. And the hallmark floral Passiflore fabric has been updated with new graphic tones.
The result is another timeless Mah Jong sofa that celebrates the style of the “Me Decade” from the dance floor to the great outdoors.