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Hans Hopfer Chairs

German

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.

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Creator: Hans Hopfer
Informel Chair by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois
Informel Chair by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois

Informel Chair by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois

By Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois

Located in Chicago, IL

c. 1980s. We have another available in different condition if interested. Made in France. Quilted cotton with foam structure. Extremely rare in USA. Cotton cover zips off for easy cl...

Category

1980s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Hans Hopfer Chairs

Materials

Cotton

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Hans Hopfer chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Hans Hopfer chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of fabric and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original chairs by Hans Hopfer were created in the mid-century modern style in france during the 1980s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Disform, Airborne, and Christian Durupt. Prices for Hans Hopfer chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,700 and can go as high as $4,700, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,700.