DomHans van der Laan (29 December 1904 – 19 August 1991) was a Dutch Benedictine monk and architect.
Hans van der Laan Portrait
He was a leading figure in the Bossche School. His theories on numerical ratios in architecture, in particular regarding the plastic ratio,[1] were very influential.[2] He may be regarded as intellectually related to the second generation of "De Groep".[3]
Van der Laan was the ninth of the eleven recorded children of Leiden architect Leo van der Laan (1864–1942) by his marriage to Anna Stadhouder (1871–1941). His brothers Jan van der Laan and Nico van der Laan also became architects. His teenage years were marred by a diagnosis of tuberculosis[4] when he was seventeen. The illness also delayed the commencement of his university level studies, but he used a year in a sanatorium to study higher mathematics so that once he did resume his studies he was able to omit the mathematics based elements of the standard course.[4]
Hans studied architecture from 1923 to 1926 at the Technische Hogeschool of Delft, where M.J. Granpré Molière was the dominant figure. Granpré Molière regarded his Catholic faith as inseparably bound up with architecture, a concept with which Van der Laan could not agree. He did not complete his course and in 1927 moved to St. Paul's Abbey, Oosterhout, to become a Benedictine monk. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1934.[4] Later he lived in St. Benedictusberg Abbey at Mamelis near Vaals. As sacristan he developed a strong interest in the design of liturgical objects and church furnishings. His interest in architecture was also reawakened. He tried to find an answer to the question of which criteria the aesthetics of a building must meet, and developed a theory of numerical relationships in which the "plastic ratio", a three-dimensional expression of the golden ratio, played a central part.
After World War II Van der Laan, with his brother Nico, led a course in Church Architecture in the Kruithuis in 's-Hertogenbosch, using the early Christian basilica as an example, for training architects for the post-war reconstruction of Catholic churches and monasteries, and also of secular buildings. From these courses arose the Bossche School, a name given by opponents of the Van der Laan brothers and their followers. To illustrate his ideas about relationships he made use of two teaching aids developed by himself: the architectural abacus and the morphotheque, for two- and three-dimensional forms respectively.
Why we build houses
"Since the ground is too hard for our bare feet, we make sandals: for the sole of the sandal we use a material softer than the floor but harder than our feet. If the sandal soles were as hard as the floor or as soft as our feet they would be useless. But since they are just hard enough not to wear out too fast, and yet still soft enough to be comfortable, they provide a harmonious interface between our soft feet and the rough ground.[2]
A house involves something more than the simple interface between our feet and the ground. It concerns the meeting between our whole being and the entire natural environment. Successfully achieving that meeting between the two is no more simply a matter for the small piece of softened ground that we wear on our feet, but a 'piece of habitable space', which we can separate from the natural environment with walls."[2]
Hans van der Laan in "De architectonische ruimte" (1977)[2]
Worksedit
Van der Laan designed only a few buildings, mostly Christian, not all of which were realised. In Helmond he built with his brother the octagonal St. Joseph's Chapel (1948). The church of St. Benedictusberg Abbey (1967) at Mamelis (near Vaals) is his best-known executed work. His design for the library of the same monastery was awarded the Limburg Architecture Prize in 1989. The crypt, the sacristy and a courtyard or atrium there were also designed by him. (The rest of the premises date from the 1920s and are not by him).
In Belgium he built Roosenberg Abbey at Waasmunster (Sisters of Mary, 1975), as well as the mother house in the same place (from 1978), and the church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ("Onbevlekt Hart van Maria") in Wijnberg in Wevelgem. In Best a house with a patio was built to his designs (Naalden House, 1981). The last work to be executed from his designs was the monastery of the Benedictine nuns of Tomelilla in southern Sweden (largely finished in 1995).
One of the earliest works of the Dutch artist group the Observatorium was based on his work.
Benedictine monastery in Tomelilla, Sweden, 1986–1991
St. Joseph's Memorial Chapel, Helmond (1948)
Church of St. Benedictusberg Abbey, Mamelis in Vaals (1967)
Roosenberg Abbey, Waasmunster (1975)
He also designed the furniture and fittings for his buildings.
Theoretical worksedit
Het plastisch getal. Brill, Leiden 1967
De architectonische ruimte. Brill, Leiden 1977 (also available in English as: "Architectonic Space" Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, ISBN9789004069435.)
Het vormenspel der liturgie. Brill, Leiden 1985 (also available in English as: "The Play of Forms",ISBN978-9004146334.)
Notes and referencesedit
^"Introductie .... Het Plastisch Getal". Van der Laan foundation website (in Dutch). Van der Laan Stichting, Berg en Dal. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
^ abcdGeorg Munkel (Diplomarbeit); Betreuung T.H.Schmitz & M.Pfaff (2004). "Der Architekonische Raum: Analyse und Anwendung der Architekturthorie Dom Hans van der Laan" (in German). Retrieved 29 August 2015.
^the twentieth century "Amsterdam Group" of figurative abstract architects
^ abc"Biography: The Benedictine monk and architect Dom Hans van der Laan was ..." Van der Laan foundation website. Van der Laan Stichting, Berg en Dal. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
Bibliographyedit
Ferlenga, Alberto: Dom Hans van der Laan – Works and Words, Architectura & Natura, 2011, ISBN978-94-6140-019-2
Ferlenga, Alberto; Verde, Paola: Dom Hans van der Laan – works and words, Architectura & Natura, 2001
Padovan, Richard: Dom Hans van der Laan – modern primitive, Architectura & Natura, 1994
Remery, Michael, 2010: Mystery and Matter: On the Relationship Between Liturgy and Architecture in the Thought of Dom Hans van der Laan OSB (1904-1991) (Studies in Religion and the Arts vol. 3). Brill ISSN 1877-3192 ISBN9004182969
Voet, Caroline: Between the Lines and its Margins. Spatial Systematics in the work of Dom Hans van der Laan (1904-1991). (Dissertation) KU Leuven, Arenberg doctoral school of science, engineering & technology, 2013. ISBN978-94-6018-706-3 Abstract online (table of contents)
Voet, Caroline: "Dom Hans van der Laan. Tomelilla", Architectura & Natura, Amsterdam 2016.
External linksedit
Georg Munkel: Thesis on the theories of Dom Hans van der Laan (2003) (in German)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hans van der Laan (architect).
April 26, 2024
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This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Dom Hans van der Laan 29 December 1904 19 August 1991 was a Dutch Benedictine monk and architect Hans van der Laan Portrait He was a leading figure in the Bossche School His theories on numerical ratios in architecture in particular regarding the plastic ratio 1 were very influential 2 He may be regarded as intellectually related to the second generation of De Groep 3 Contents 1 Early life 2 Works 2 1 List 2 2 Theoretical works 3 Notes and references 4 Bibliography 5 External linksEarly life editVan der Laan was the ninth of the eleven recorded children of Leiden architect Leo van der Laan 1864 1942 by his marriage to Anna Stadhouder 1871 1941 His brothers Jan van der Laan and Nico van der Laan also became architects His teenage years were marred by a diagnosis of tuberculosis 4 when he was seventeen The illness also delayed the commencement of his university level studies but he used a year in a sanatorium to study higher mathematics so that once he did resume his studies he was able to omit the mathematics based elements of the standard course 4 Hans studied architecture from 1923 to 1926 at the Technische Hogeschool of Delft where M J Granpre Moliere was the dominant figure Granpre Moliere regarded his Catholic faith as inseparably bound up with architecture a concept with which Van der Laan could not agree He did not complete his course and in 1927 moved to St Paul s Abbey Oosterhout to become a Benedictine monk He was ordained into the priesthood in 1934 4 Later he lived in St Benedictusberg Abbey at Mamelis near Vaals As sacristan he developed a strong interest in the design of liturgical objects and church furnishings His interest in architecture was also reawakened He tried to find an answer to the question of which criteria the aesthetics of a building must meet and developed a theory of numerical relationships in which the plastic ratio a three dimensional expression of the golden ratio played a central part After World War II Van der Laan with his brother Nico led a course in Church Architecture in the Kruithuis in s Hertogenbosch using the early Christian basilica as an example for training architects for the post war reconstruction of Catholic churches and monasteries and also of secular buildings From these courses arose the Bossche School a name given by opponents of the Van der Laan brothers and their followers To illustrate his ideas about relationships he made use of two teaching aids developed by himself the architectural abacus and the morphotheque for two and three dimensional forms respectively Why we build houses Since the ground is too hard for our bare feet we make sandals for the sole of the sandal we use a material softer than the floor but harder than our feet If the sandal soles were as hard as the floor or as soft as our feet they would be useless But since they are just hard enough not to wear out too fast and yet still soft enough to be comfortable they provide a harmonious interface between our soft feet and the rough ground 2 A house involves something more than the simple interface between our feet and the ground It concerns the meeting between our whole being and the entire natural environment Successfully achieving that meeting between the two is no more simply a matter for the small piece of softened ground that we wear on our feet but a piece of habitable space which we can separate from the natural environment with walls 2 Hans van der Laan in De architectonische ruimte 1977 2 Works editVan der Laan designed only a few buildings mostly Christian not all of which were realised In Helmond he built with his brother the octagonal St Joseph s Chapel 1948 The church of St Benedictusberg Abbey 1967 at Mamelis near Vaals is his best known executed work His design for the library of the same monastery was awarded the Limburg Architecture Prize in 1989 The crypt the sacristy and a courtyard or atrium there were also designed by him The rest of the premises date from the 1920s and are not by him In Belgium he built Roosenberg Abbey at Waasmunster Sisters of Mary 1975 as well as the mother house in the same place from 1978 and the church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Onbevlekt Hart van Maria in Wijnberg in Wevelgem In Best a house with a patio was built to his designs Naalden House 1981 The last work to be executed from his designs was the monastery of the Benedictine nuns of Tomelilla in southern Sweden largely finished in 1995 One of the earliest works of the Dutch artist group the Observatorium was based on his work List edit St Salvator s Chapel in Baarle Nassau 1929 1930 Guest wing of the Benedictine nunnery in Oosterhout 1938 St Joseph s Chapel in Helmond 1948 St Benedictusberg Abbey in Mamelis in Vaals 1956 1968 Onbevlekt Hart van Maria in Wijnberg in Wevelgem Belgium 1963 1969 Roosenberg Abbey in Waasmunster Belgium 1972 1974 Jos Naalden House in Best 1972 1982 Bethlehem Church in Breda 1977 1979 Benedictine monastery in Tomelilla Sweden 1986 1991 nbsp St Joseph s Memorial Chapel Helmond 1948 nbsp Church of St Benedictusberg Abbey Mamelis in Vaals 1967 nbsp Roosenberg Abbey Waasmunster 1975 He also designed the furniture and fittings for his buildings Theoretical works edit Het plastisch getal Brill Leiden 1967 De architectonische ruimte Brill Leiden 1977 also available in English as Architectonic Space Brill Leiden Netherlands ISBN 9789004069435 Het vormenspel der liturgie Brill Leiden 1985 also available in English as The Play of Forms ISBN 978 9004146334 Notes and references edit Introductie Het Plastisch Getal Van der Laan foundation website in Dutch Van der Laan Stichting Berg en Dal Retrieved 29 August 2015 a b c d Georg Munkel Diplomarbeit Betreuung T H Schmitz amp M Pfaff 2004 Der Architekonische Raum Analyse und Anwendung der Architekturthorie Dom Hans van der Laan in German Retrieved 29 August 2015 the twentieth century Amsterdam Group of figurative abstract architects a b c Biography The Benedictine monk and architect Dom Hans van der Laan was Van der Laan foundation website Van der Laan Stichting Berg en Dal Retrieved 29 August 2015 Bibliography editFerlenga Alberto Dom Hans van der Laan Works and Words Architectura amp Natura 2011 ISBN 978 94 6140 019 2 Ferlenga Alberto Verde Paola Dom Hans van der Laan works and words Architectura amp Natura 2001 Padovan Richard Dom Hans van der Laan modern primitive Architectura amp Natura 1994 Remery Michael 2010 Mystery and Matter On the Relationship Between Liturgy and Architecture in the Thought of Dom Hans van der Laan OSB 1904 1991 Studies in Religion and the Arts vol 3 Brill ISSN 1877 3192 ISBN 9004182969 Voet Caroline Between the Lines and its Margins Spatial Systematics in the work of Dom Hans van der Laan 1904 1991 Dissertation KU Leuven Arenberg doctoral school of science engineering amp technology 2013 ISBN 978 94 6018 706 3 Abstract online table of contents Voet Caroline Dom Hans van der Laan Tomelilla Architectura amp Natura Amsterdam 2016 External links editGeorg Munkel Thesis on the theories of Dom Hans van der Laan 2003 in German Van der Laan Foundation nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hans van der Laan architect Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hans van der Laan amp oldid 1189565813, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
