This year, Roche Bobois celebrates 50 years of the Mah Jong sofa. Designed in 1971, the Mah Jong sofa was born from the meeting of Philippe Roche, visionary entrepreneur, and Hans Hopfer, a design genius. Avant-garde at the time of its creation, and an iconic piece today, this sofa is a pure expression of freedom and has long been a benchmark in terms of modularity and creativity.

With the Mah Jong, Hans Hopfer imagined a sofa that champions complete freedom of form and function. Starting with three basic elements that can be combined or stacked together, the Mah Jong allows limitless options of composition, ranging from simple to highly complex. This versatility is what makes it unique. By playing freely with the elements, the user becomes the designer of his or her own sofa. The Mah Jong can be an armchair, sofa, lounge chair, bed or living area, and is available via Roche Bobois in Beacon South Quarter, Dublin 18.

Those that get the itch to Feng Shui their living area might fall in love with the Mah Jong – such a design allows the owner to switch from a classic sofa to a circular conversation space to a lovely L-shaped loveseat, week to week, should you fancy the transformation (and should you have the space). It becomes exciting when one realises that memories of kids’ parties, casual movie nights, and family hangouts in the Mah Jong might all carry distinct vibes, depending on what function was required on the day.

1. STRAIGHT FORWARD SOFA SHAPE

Keeping it simple, align any number of single Mah Jong cushions, with either end terminating in an armrest piece. With the Mah Jong, though, you can make this sofa as long as you wish.

2. 70S-STYLE CONVERSATION PIT

With the advent of communal living styles, and the disdain for remote ways of living borne of endless lockdowns, these 70s-style conversation pits are making a comeback in larger living areas and basements everywhere.

3. L-SHAPED LOVESEAT

Smaller couches aren’t often favoured as the lack of curvature prevents more than one person to sit comfortably, but often, a smaller sized loveseat is all that is permitted by the square footage of a one-bed apartment or bungalow. To create the loveliest of L-Shaped Love Seats, use three pieces of Mah Jong – two typical backed cushions, and one curved-back cushion for the centre.

4. EXTRA-HIGH ARMCHAIR

Central to Hans Hopfer’s original Mah Jong design is the concept of being close to the ground – but the design evolved to render the Mah Jong cushions stackable. The potential here for a Princess and the Pea-style high-level bed is tempting – but perhaps, for the moment, consider a simple extra-high armchair for your sitting room.

Roche Bobois’ Mah Jong collections are available via Roche Bobois in Beacon South Quarter, Dublin 18. Contact (01) 653 1650 for details.