The dining chair designed by Dom Hans van der Laan stands out as a striking example of minimalist design. Crafted around 1979, the chair is a testament to van der Laan's innovative approach to design and architecture. A Dutch Benedictine monk and architect, van der Laan was a prominent figure in the Bossche School. He rejected the golden ratio in favour of his unique 'plastic number', which he developed through extensive study of nature's rhythms, rules, and proportions. This theory sought to uncover the mathematics of beauty in architecture.

The chair itself, made of pine with steel nails and painted in a specific shade of grey from van der Laan's selective colour palette, embody a profound simplicity. The dimensions allow the chair to be combined into a bench, illustrating van der Laan's focus on multi-functionality and the fundamental essence of form. In van der Laan's work, numbers and proportions are meticulously calculated, yet they subtly recede, leaving an impression of invisible harmony and a testament to the power of minimalism.