An Abbey in Sweden

A Walk throught the Abbey

‘Zo’n plan moet als het ware geboren worden en dat duurt een heel jaar. Mijn neef heeft dat met toewijding volbracht en met alle moeite en vreugde die dat met zich meebrengt. De laatste verworvenheden van mijn architectuurstudies heeft hij er in verwezenlijkt en daarom kon hij mij op de 26e mei geen mooier cadeau brengen. Het is uit de samenwerking ontstaan van een oude monnik en een jonge architect.’

Dom Hans van der Laan, brief aan Moeder Tyra (over de voltooiing van de ontwerpplannen van het klooster te Tomelilla, 31 mei 1987)

The last subject we have to discuss is the church. A horizontal development of space, as I had imagined here in Vaals, was not possible because of the pitching of the roofs, notably the ones over the aisles. Because of these roofs, the row of windows at the top had to be high over the gallery’s colonnade. Besides, no windows could be made in the front or back wall of the nave, because the church is enclosed between two wings. The latter seems right to me for a church within a convent. Consequently the space of the church will have instead the (high) character of a basilica, to which I do not object.

(Quote Dom Hans van der Laan)

“This garden should provide us with everything we need for our existence in space: a complete view for our eyes, an expanse large enough to walk in, and even the opportunity for human activity, even if just to tend to the garden. But arms, legs and the senses in our heads do not constitute our whole existence; we have our intellect and therefore demand an order around us that we can comprehend – not the unlimited order of natural creation, but an order adapted to our intellect and that we have to create ourselves. That's why I spoke of gamuts of measures for the different wings in the general composition of your convent. These gamuts will be used in the interior spaces as well, right up to the details of the windows and the columns, and similarly this will need to be done on a larger scale for the complete space of your domain. (Quote Dom Hans van der Laan)”

‘A convent alone, even with inner courts, would not be sufficient to establish your habitat, your monastic home. The space around the house is equally essential, being, as it were, natural space made habitable by means of the interior space of the convent. For this reason the first thing I sent you was the drawing of the whole enclosure. In my architectural studies I always strongly emphasize this very first of all relationships, namely the inside with the outside because we make natural space habitable by means of the inside of the house. As clothes renew our physical existence, so our buildings have to renew natural space, which has to be done in the garden of your convent.’

(Quote Dom Hans van der Laan)