Nico van der Laan

Nico van der Laan (25 August 1908 – 20 September 1986) was a Dutch architect, as were his father Leo van der Laan and his brothers Jan and Hans, with whom he was closely associated.

His eldest brother Jan took over their father's architectural practice in Leiden.

Together with his brother Hans, who in 1927 became a Benedictine monk at Oosterhout Abbey, Nico immersed himself in the theory of the origins of architecture.

After World War II, with his brother Hans, he led a course in Church Architecture in the Kruithuis in 's-Hertogenbosch, using the early Christian basilica as an example, for training architects in the post-war reconstruction of ecclesiastical buildings.

From these courses arose the Bossche School, a name given by opponents of the Van der Laan brothers and their followers.