The Rock | Gerard van den Berg for Montis

For AERA LAB, Bea Joppen reupholstered The Rock, a lounge chair designed by Gerard van den Berg for Montis. A striped textile by Dieter Vander Velpen for Zinc Textile gives this distinctive Dutch design a new expression.

Dating from the 1970s, The Rock combines an exceptionally tall backrest with a low seat and a rounded, enveloping shape. Its character comes from the relationship between these proportions: a chair that feels generous and grounded, with a silhouette that is immediately recognisable.

The new upholstery introduces diagonal stripes in chocolate brown, rust and cream. Across the broad backrest, the pattern creates a strong graphic rhythm. As it moves over the curved seat and sides, its direction changes with the contours, drawing attention to the chair’s three-dimensional form. The earthy palette feels at home with the period of the original design, while the diagonal lines bring a fresh energy to it.

The fabric belongs to the collaboration between Belgian architect Dieter Vander Velpen and Zinc Textile. Their collections approach textiles as architectural surfaces, exploring how pattern and texture interact with shape and surrounding materials. On The Rock, that relationship becomes particularly visible: the fabric influences how we read the entire object.

This project brings together vintage furniture and contemporary textile design through reupholstery. The result retains the unmistakable character of Van den Berg’s chair, with a new surface that gives it an identity of its own.

Design: Gerard van den Berg for Montis
Client: AERA LAB
Reupholstery: Bea Joppen
Fabric: Dieter Vander Velpen for Zinc Textile