The Ovalia armchair by Roche Bobois.
If you have ever looked at an Ovalia armchair and thought it belonged on a spaceship, you were not completely wrong. Designed by Danish designer Henrik Thor-Larsen in 1968, the unmistakably egg-shaped seat arrived at the height of the ‘Space Age’, when furniture was becoming just as fascinated by futuristic forms, new materials and the possibilities of technology as the rest of the world was. Now, Roche Bobois is bringing it back for 2026, giving the cult design a few updates without tampering with its otherworldly personality.
The reissue makes perfect sense for Roche Bobois, whose history is closely tied to Scandinavian design. During the 1960s, the French house helped introduce French audiences to a new generation of Nordic furniture that valued function, experimentation and industrial innovation. More than half a century later, the Ovalia returns with that same spirit, adapted for contemporary interiors and modern habits.
“The reissue of the Ovalia armchair by Henrik Thor-Larsen perfectly illustrates Roche Bobois’s commitment to creative transmission: preserving the vision and boldness of an iconic design while updating it with our comfort standards and contemporary uses,” says Eric Amourdedieu, Roche Bobois Group Executive Director. “This effort of respectful reappropriation brings the heritage of design to life and firmly roots it in the present.”
The Ovalia armchair by Roche Bobois.
The biggest changes are happening beneath that instantly recognisable shell. The 2026 edition has a redesigned backrest inclination, an elastic-strap seat and an integrated headrest, creating a more enveloping position that makes the chair considerably more inviting for actually sitting in, instead of simply admiring it from across the room. There is even a magnetic system built into the shell for holding a smartphone, turning the Ovalia into a private little zone for watching, listening or just disappearing from everyone else for a while.
Thor-Larsen’s original idea was, in fact, about creating exactly that sense of escape. “Inspired by organic shapes, Ovalia was designed as a protective cocoon. I wanted to create a peaceful sanctuary, where one’s imagination could run wild,” the designer explains. “Roche Bobois’s reissue of Ovalia today is a source of great satisfaction: this collaboration is giving new impetus to a design that has preserved its modernity and its ability to inspire.”
The chair is also getting a much more colourful 2026 wardrobe, with six exclusive high-gloss or matte lacquer shades for the fibreglass shell and a broad selection of premium upholstery fabrics (including the tufted Harmonie textile). For Grégory Dias Monreal, Roche Bobois’ Head of Trends, the design still carries all the strange charm that made it so distinctive in the first place.
The Ovalia armchair by Roche Bobois.
“The Ovalia Egg Chair by Henrik Thor-Larsen is one of those objects that encapsulates an era, a vision and an attitude,” he says. “More than a conventional seat, it creates a bubble, a micro-universe. It evokes both a space capsule and the cosmic egg – a balance between technology and organicity.”
The surrounding pieces have been considered accordingly, with a matching footrest and circular cocktail table joining the armchair. Each Ovalia is finished with an exclusive medal bearing Thor-Larsen’s name and the date of the new edition, giving the reissue its own place in the chair’s history.
The Roche Bobois Ovalia collection is available to discover across global showrooms and online. Find out more here.
photography. courtesy of Roche Bobois
words. Gennaro Costanzo
