Dom van der Laan
Dom Hans van der Laan, originator, architect, designer
Benedictine monk and architect Hans van der Laan (1904-1991) may have had a small body of work, but his legacy is highly regarded in the world of architecture. Although he designed three monasteries and a private dwelling, it was not until he reached the age of 53 that he completed his first real design, the St Benedictusberg Abbey in Vaals. The building was immediately acclaimed as his masterpiece. The greatest part of Van der Laan’s life, however, was dedicated to conceptualizing form, proportion and the way in which human beings perceive architectural spaces. He also developed the theory of plastic numbers.