Art Toronto and Roche Bobois reinvent Mah Jong sofa

A leader in the high-end furniture market, Roche Bobois has partnered with Art Toronto to breathe new life into their renowned Mah Jong sofa. Formed by luxury cushions that can be combined to create “free form” modular seating, Roche Bobois’ iconic Mah Jong, was designed by Hans Hopfer in 1971,  remaining consistently popular in the decades since.

Hans Hopfer's Mah Jong sofa, image via Roche Bobois
Hans Hopfer’s Mah Jong sofa, image via Roche Bobois

The Mah Jong asserts total freedom of form and function, thus allowing the ability to change the landscape of a room and offering a whole new approach to the way we view and arrange the spaces in which we live. In collaboration with Art Toronto, Roche Bobois recently launched an exclusive art project called Canada 150 which offers five artists from across Canada the opportunity to add a unique touch to the Mah Jong, in their own distinctive style! Patrick Cruz, Karen Kraven, Philippe Caron Lefebvre, Ron Moppett and Ningiukulu Teeve participated in this creative and innovative project.

Hans Hopfer's Mah Jong sofa, image via Roche Bobois
Hans Hopfer’s Mah Jong sofa, image via Roche Bobois

Following a Vancouver store event which showcased the pieces on October 19th, Roche Bobois Toronto will be the next to host the pieces during an exclusive cocktail reception on the evening of November 2nd. The Canada 150 project in collaboration with Roche Bobois and Art Toronto will then finish its run in Montréal on November 24th. These unique collection pieces will then be put up for auction by Roche Bobois, and the profits of this sale will be donated to The Canadian Art Foundation.

“Roche Bobois is proud to bring together personalities from culture, art and philanthropy for this important cause,” said Cindy Susilo, the company’s Digital Marketing Director. Avant-garde when first created and still well-known today, the Mah Jong has been dressed by Missoni Home, Jean Paul Gaultier and Sonia Rykiel Maison, while its free form seating established a model for modular creative design that has remained influential in the decades to come.