German designer and artist Hans Hopfer had a profound impact on furniture design that still guides the choices we make about our spaces today. Affectionately dubbed “seating landscapes,” Hopfer’s forward-looking collections of inviting, modular low-profile seating, such as the widely revered Mah Jong sofa for Roche Bobois, allowed for optimal customized arrangements in one’s living room, an innovation that reshaped relaxation at home in a significant and lasting way.
Hopfer designed modern furniture for a manufacturer in Nuremberg during the 1960s. He met Phillippe Roche in 1970 and began his collaboration with the Roche Bobois company. When the popularity of cable television took hold in more major American cities during the 1970s, sofas and other seating became integral to contemporary living-room decor. Roche Bobois’s newly launched Les Contemporains series positioned its own sofas front and center, and it also offered plush lounge chairs designed by Mario Bellini.
Bold works from Roche Bobois during the decade included one of its most enduring and well-known pieces — the Mah Jong sectional sofa created by Hopfer in 1971. Anchored by few central elements, this modular lounge sofa can be combined or stacked, giving the buyer total freedom over its appearance and the ability to maximize comfort with its plump cushions. Inspired by a tile-based game that originated in China, the Mah Jong has been in production since its debut. It is still handmade in a workshop in Italy today.
Composed of low seating elements and large cushions, Hopfer’s Mah Jong sofa has seen some high-profile fabric updates by Missoni, Jean Paul Gaultier and Japanese clothing designer Kenzo Takada, who worked with Roche Bobois to craft fabrics emblazoned with geometrically dynamic patterns to be used as upholstery for the firm’s iconic piece of furniture.
Primarily a sculptor and painter by trade, Hopfer worked and lived between Buenos Aires, Nuremberg and Paris. In addition to the work he did for Roche Bobois — which included his Informel armchairs and sofas — he also created modular furniture for the Wiener Werkstatte, a collective of artists and designers born from the Vienna Secession art movement in Austria during the early 20th century.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Hans Hopfer lounge chairs, armchairs and sofas.
Roche Bobois Hans Hopfer Vintage Informel Cognac Aniline Leather Lounge Chair
By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Roche Bobois armchair Lounge Chair Model Informel in cognac brandy soft aniline leather. Design by Hans Hopfer in the late 70ties. Original l...
Leather, Upholstery, Foam
$4,000 / set
H 27.56 in W 37.41 in D 37.41 in
Hans Hopfer 'Mah Jong' Sectional Sofa Lounge Chair by Roche Bobois, France 1990s
By Roche Bobois, Hans Hopfer
Located in Wien, AT
Designed by Hans Hopfer in 1971 for Roche Bobois, the Mah Jong sofa remains one of the most influential and recognizable seating systems of the 20th century. Conceived as a collectio...
Fabric
Mah Jong by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois 1st Edition Sofa
By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rare and iconic 1st edition circa 1971 Mah Jong modular sectional sofa consisting of ten element pillows. The sofa was designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois in this avant-garde de...
Fabric, Foam
$25,000 / set
H 20 in W 226 in D 76 in
Mah Jong Kenzo Missoni Sectional Sofa Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois
By Roche Bobois, Kenzo Takada, Hans Hopfer, Missoni
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A rare and iconic 20th century 'Mah Jong' modular sectional sofa designed in 1971 by Hans Hopfer (Germany b. 1931) for Roche Bobois. The sofa is finished in an incredible blend of Ke...
Fabric, Cotton, Foam
$25,000 / set
H 28 in W 116.5 in D 68.5 in
Mah Jong Kenzo Platform Sofa Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois 21st C
By Roche Bobois, Hans Hopfer, Kenzo Takada
Located in Rio Vista, CA
An iconic and rare 21st century Mah Jong "Composition Natsu-Kenzo Takada" sectional modular sofa with gilt beech wood platforms. The Natsu sofa was commissioned in 2021 to mark the 5...
Fabric, Foam, Beech
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.5 in W 36 in D 34 in
Roche Bobois 'Nuage' Red Leather Swivel Chair by Tapinassi & Manzoni, Signed
By Roche Bobois
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This striking 'Nuage' swivel lounge chair was designed by Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni for Roche Bobois and exemplifies the playful sculptural aesthetic that has become a h...
Metal
$5,450 / set
H 25.79 in W 37.41 in D 38.98 in
Roche Bobois Pair of Lounge Chairs in Red and Patterned Upholstery
By Roche Bobois
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Roche Bobois, pair of armchairs, fabric, chrome, France, 1970s These rare and wonderfully constructed chairs by Roche Bobois feature a solid construction of solely round shapes. The...
Chrome
Mah Jong sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois
By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois
Located in Marseille, FR
Mah Jong sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, 1970s, entirely reupholstered by Relax Factory workshop in Marseille, France, in a beautiful Limon linen Pierre Frey fabric. Excellent...
Linen
$1,865 / item
H 33.47 in W 24.41 in D 29.53 in
Ole Wanscher Lounge Chairs, Model PJ112, Cognac Aniline Leather
By Poul Jeppesen, Ole Wanscher
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Ole Wanscher lounge chairs new upholstered in vintage cognac aniline leather. Made of massive oiled mahogany. Model PJ 112, made by Poul Jeppesen.
Leather, Mahogany
Mah Jong sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois
By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois
Located in Marseille, FR
Mah Jong sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, 1970s, entirely reupholstered by Relax Factory workshop in Marseille, France, in a beautiful Limon linen Pierre Frey fabric. Excellent...
Linen
$24,000 / set
H 21.5 in W 114 in D 78 in
Mah Jong Sofa Missoni Fabrics by Hans Hopfer Roche Bobois 21st C
By Hans Hopfer, Missoni, Roche Bobois
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A rare and iconic 21st century Roche Bobois 'Mah Jong' modular sectional sofa designed in 1971 by Hans Hopfer (Germany b. 1931). The sofa is a "Composition Missoni" featuring dramati...
Fabric, Foam
$24,000 / item
H 24 in W 114 in D 114 in
Mah Jong sectional sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois (1970s) ink blue velvet
By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mah Jong sectional sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois (1970s) reupholstered in ink blue velvet. Sublime nine piece set, endlessly modular, just in from east coast auction. Viewabl...
Velvet, Foam
$1,748
H 32.68 in W 45.28 in D 39.38 in
Roche Bobois Lounge Armchair in Original Green Patinated Leather – circa 1970
By Roche Bobois
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Very comfortable lounge chair by Roche Bobois, France / Italy – circa 1970. The leather has nice patina with normal signs of age and use. No tears or holes. The chair is labeled Roch...
Leather
Sold
H 30.71 in W 35.44 in D 40.16 in
Roche Bobois by Hans Hopfer Virgule Lime Green Leather Swivel Lounge Chair
By Roche Bobois, Hans Hopfer
Located in Rochester, England
Designed by Hans Hopfer and manufactured by Roche Bobois, this lounge chair is a joyful piece of modern design. The lounge chair is fully upholstered in vibrant lime green Tendres...
Leather