An Abbey in Sweden

The domain is 3:4.

The extreme measures of the domain are as a halo around 2162, the largest authentic measure of system I. 2162 dm is the arithmetic middle between the surrounding derived measures 1860 dm and 2464 dm.

This results in a domain measuring 1860 dm : 2464 dm with a 3:4 ratio, without doing violence to the larger whole of 2162.

The distance between monastery and site boundary is 302 dm. Thus this measure is the criterion for the whole domain.

302 dm represents the court.

302 dm : 2162 dm = 1:7

The sister’s court is 456 dm : 456 dm.

The court for the guests is 344 dm : 302 dm.

All the other measures, which were defined for the domain, belong to this system.

The cella is 42 dm x 42 dm.

In this simple scheme, which is partly based on counting, the lengths of the wings are treated as multiples of 42 dm.

The measures between the court and cella follow system  II : from 42 dm to 302 dm.

The wings have a width of 84 dm, or 2 x 42 dm, a doubled nearness.

The church has a width of 196 dm, with aisles of 42 dm wide and a nave of 2 x 56 dm wide.

42 dm : 56 dm = 3:4

The length of the church is 64 dm for the apse plus 260 dm for the nave.

64 dm : 260 dm = 1:4

The sister’s courtyard:

(5 x 42 dm) : (7 x 42 dm)

The courtyard of the guests:

(4 x 42 dm) : (5 x 42 dm)

A slot of 24 dm is inserted between the wings. This is also the measure for where the wings protrude.

The galleries are 36 dm, the derived measure of 42 dm.

36 dm :42 dm = 6 : 7

Plan level 1

The cellas of 42 dm become bedrooms.

At the end of the wings, the measures diverge from the 42 dm module and become 49 dm. This maximises the effect of the protruding wings. Van der Laan wanted ‘more flesh’ at the end of the wings.

Plan level 1

Stairwells are inserted.

The stairwell at the top is 2 modules wide: 84 dm.

The stairwells at the end of the sister’s wings become 65 dm.

The stairs on the corners of the guest wing become 55 dm.

Plan level 0

Based on the module of 42 dm, the length of the spaces on the ground floor is decided.

The church has a length of 260 dm, with a nave of 64 dm deep.

The eastern garden wing fits on a grid of 42 dm by 42 dm. It consists of 13 bays of 42 dm and two corner bays of 49 dm wide.

49 dm + (13 x 42 dm) + 49 dm

49 dm is interpreted here as 48+ dm, a so called ‘increased’ measure of 48 dm. It is an enlargement on the verge of the visually perceptible. Formally this is 1/7 x 1/7 of the original measure, also expressed as 1/50. A measure can therefore also be reduced in this way.

Level 1:

The cella module become the bedrooms of 42 dm, 13 in total.

A stairwell of 2 x 42 dm is inserted.

Level 0:

Three half spaces are defined. Their length is that of 4 cells on level 1:

4 x 42 dm = 168 dm = a reduced measure of 172 dm.

(3 x 42 dm) + 49 dm = a enlarged measure of 172 dm.

Level 1:

The hall and wet cells form strips of 24 dm and 18 dm.

24 dm : 18 dm = 4:3

Level 0:

Halls are defined as half-spaces through the insertion of a colonnade, creating a gallery of 32 dm wide. The gallery is intended to be a superposition onto the entire space, and not as a subdivision. Therefor, it relates to the hall as 2 : 5.

The gallery of 32 dm is clearly measurable as a well-defined inside, thus defining the remaining space of the hall as an undefined outside.

Level 0:

The length of the hall is based on four bay-measures of 42 dm, taken from the cells of the top floor.

For the column-spacing of the gallery Van der Laan opts for a bay-measure of 56 dm of 4 : 3 of 42.

56 dm : 42 dm = 4:3

Level 0:

For the facade Van der Laan opts for a bay-measure of 32 dm.

32 dm : 42 dm = 3:4

In a last stage window openings and column widths are decided. Their measures are from system III as well as the smallest in the lower system IV.

The windows of the cells are grouped two by two and form a continuous frieze. The windows on the ground floor follow the halls and are connected in threes, fours or fives.

Level 1:

The windows at the top in the frieze are paired with a small pier. They are ordered according to a peripheral disposition (the wall piece is measured as the smallest unit, the pier is omitted).
16 dm : 42 dm = 2:5⁺

Pier : wall piece = 5 dm : 16 dm = 1 : 3

Level 0:

The windows are 14 dm wide and ordered according to a central disposition (the window is measured as the smallest unit).

14  dm : 32 dm = 43 : 100 = 3:7

Level 1:

The windows overlooking the cloister garden are very small; 8 dm.

8 dm : 32 dm = 1:4

Level 0:

The gallery is created by a colonnade with the Araeostyle ratio:

column breadth : column distance = 12 dm : 56 dm or  2 : 9

The width of the columns is 4,5 dm

4,5 dm : 6 dm = 3:4

So on the ground floor there are two superimposed rhythms of windows and columns, resp. 3 and 5.

The stairwell is square: 84 dm x 84 dm. The colonnade runs through here as well, with one column in the middle of the space and two pieces to the side, as if the column disappears in the wall. The staircase moves upward between the facade and a parallel wall, which form a slot 20 wide. As a result, the remaining space is 64 dm : 84 dm = 3 : 4. The gallery divides this space into two equal parts of 32 dm.

The library has a gallery that connects to the stairwell. The articulation is different than the typical articulation of a 12 dm : 56 dm column-spacing or Araeostyle. Here we find a more closed column-spacing of 12 dm : 48 dm, which corresponds to 1 : 4 or Diastyle. This robustness fits the bookcases.

The top windows are 14 dm high.

14 dm : 98 dm = 1:7

This is a frequently used formula: 98 dm – 14 dm = 84 dm (84 dm is the derived measure of 98 dm)

84 is then harmoniously divided into a derived minor part of 36 dm plus a derived major part of 48 dm.

36 dm : 48 dm = 3:4

The facade can equally be considered to be two parts, which overlap in the window of 14 dm and have respective measures 48 dm and 64 dm.
48 dm : 64 dm = 3:4

The upper floor divides the building into 42 dm and 56 dm.
42 dm : 56 dm = 3:4.

The finished ground floor in the halls is raised by 2 dm (1/50 of 98 dm) in relation to the gallery around the courtyard.