Hans Hopfer Castell Blue Modular Sectional Sofa for Wiener Werkstätte, 1970s

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.

Born from the Vienna Secession art movement in Austria during the early 20th century, the Wiener Werkstätte helped to cement Art Nouveau style and culture in Viennese art. Wiener Werkstätte furniture included armchairs, cabinets and table lamps, with production extending to other crafts such as ceramics, jewelry and fashion. The Werkstätte also boasted a large graphic arts department, which created nearly 1,000 unique postcards during the organization’s run.

Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann, painter Koloman Moser and industrialist Fritz Waerndorfer established the collective in opposition to the dominant trends in Viennese art. The artistic community was then largely directed by the Association of Austrian Artists, which had firm control over the creation and distribution of Austrian art. The collective’s style pushed back against traditional artistic preferences, instead favoring clear, bold lines and often-exaggerated, vibrant colors.

Employing over 100 people, including several master craftsmen, the Werkstätte formed relationships and alliances with a number of firms and stores, which sold and commissioned new work from the workshop.

As the Wiener Werkstätte’s mission aligned with emerging British sensibilities regarding art, many British artists worked closely with the collective. Some major Austrian artists collaborated with the collective, without officially joining, such as painter Gustav Klimt. 

The Werkstätte’s artistic range was extensive and eclectic, with the organization producing a wide variety of furniture. In 1932, the global economic collapse forced it to shut down. With the outbreak of WWII soon to follow, the Wiener Werkstätte never reopened. Its legacy lived on, however, in the numerous artists and craftspeople who carried forward its commitment to progressive cultural and creative endeavors.

On 1stDibs, find antique Wiener Werkstätte lighting, seating and storage pieces.