Dom Hans van der Laan (1904-1991) was a Dutch architect and Benedictine monk. After a few years of architectural studies, van der Laan developed a system of principles for proportions. Using this theory Dom Hans van der Laan designed buildings and even created a typeface, the Alphabet in stone. This typeface is based on the Roman carved stone capitals that were used in the first century AD. Designed using strict 3d rules (which he called the Plastic Number), his lettering can be found at the abbeys of Oosterhout and Mamelis.
