Ligne Roset Heralds the Reissue of Bernard Govin’s Asmara Series

Back in 1966, when interior architect Bernard Govin pitched a modular seating concept to Ligne Roset, he had flexible lounging on his mind. “I lived student-style for a long time: Even if we had seats, we lolled on the floor,” he says. Seen as symbolic of nonconformity and the primal urge to reconnect with the earth by rolling in the grass, the design was a hit, and the originals have long been prized in private collections. Now, the Asmara series returns in a reissue commemorating the company’s 160th anniversary.

Five reconfigurable modules—convex, concave, low back, high back, semi-circular—are formed from high-resilience polyurethane foam with polyester quilting, then covered in stretchy jersey fabrics with twin-needle stitching. The fluid lines embrace the body, whether sitting upright in a standalone chair or reclining on a sprawling landscape.