Documentary | 29 April 1993

In The Nature of Space, Frank Scheffer juxtaposes the ideas of two Dutch architects: the Benedictine monk Dom H. van der Laan and the anthroposophic architect Ton Alberts. Van der Laan represents a plain and pure architecture, based on his own research into ratios. He designed churches and monasteries, among them a monastery in Vaals. Ton Alberts works from organic forms, as demonstrated by his design of the NMB Bank headquarters in Amsterdam. Director Frank Scheffer stresses the difference in style between these architects, both of whom allow their spiritual background to be reflected in their work, by adopting a very different camera style in the case of each. (filmcommission.nl)