Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1412885
I t's a milestone anniversary for Mah Jong, the avant-garde sofa created 50 years ago by design genius Hans Hopfer and Philippe Roche, co-founder of Roche Bobois. Designed as a mattress placed directly onto the floor — the epitome of 1970s hippie chic — the Mah Jong has been dressed over the decades by such design superstars as Kenzo Takada, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Missoni Home. Handmade in Italy in the manner of haute couture, the sofa makes a fashion statement that doubles as art. In 2015, Roche Bobois tapped 13 prominent street artists to put their spin on the Mah Jong, including Alias Ipin, who spray painted himself against the cushions to have his silhouette appear in the negative. In 2019, visual artist Joana Vasconcelos — whose works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and the Palace of Versailles — reinterpreted the Mah Jong in bright colors with a black stripe; the pieces were exhibited in Miami as part of Art Basel. For the 50th anniversary, the Mah Jong has been set on an elegant platform base with recessed legs, raising the height and creating the illusion of floating cushions. Platforms are in solid ash, veneers, and lacquer finishes. Mah Jong sofa at Roche Bobois, 1707 Oak Lawn Ave., roche-bobois.com. A HALF-CENTURY OF HIPPIE CHIC By Rebecca Sherman Roche Bobois' 50th anniversary Mah Jong sofa, with cushion fabric designed by the late Kenzo Takada and a new platform base 62