The renovation of our flagship hotel is progressing rapidly and from the end of July, our guests will experience many magical family moments in the brand new converted Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido. A success factor – as with all our hotel projects – is of course also the architecture, which gives the building an unmistakable outfit. Creatively & uniquely, the brothers Erich and Andreas Falkensteiner want to let their family home shine and in the search for the right partner, the choice fell on the young, cool architecture firm noa* from Bolzano.
Leading the project are the architects Stefan Rier and Andreas Profanter, who as a project manager has the “overall supervision”, so to speak. Find out who and what is behind noa*, where the ideas come from, and much more in our interview with the two creative minds:
Falkensteiner: First of all, we are curious: noa* – what does your company name mean and how did you come up with it?
noa*: Now 10 years ago we settled in Bolzano and founded noa* network of architecture, deliberately conceived as a “network” because this reflects the spirit of our work, the way we think, feel, and act in a sustainable way. noa* stands for the essential expression of a collaborative work ethic: the young team of architects, designers, and artists relies on an interdisciplinary design methodology that is in constant flux depending on the requirements of each project. The concept of “emergence,” where the whole is far more than the sum of its parts, becomes the central strategy of a holistic approach to each design conceived by noa*.
Falkensteiner: As a relatively young design and architecture firm, you have already implemented many very unique projects. Is there a particular industry that is particularly appealing to you?
noa*: We specialize in hotels, but we are also open to everything else, from residential to commercial, etc. What’s important to us is that we can combine architecture, interior design, and product… and always in noa* style.
Falkensteiner: What does architecture mean to you and what is particularly important to you in the implementation of your projects?
noa*: The classical architectural profession is changing, it is being replaced as a methodological consequence by interdisciplinary creatives from various design disciplines: we feel more and more like conductors who concertize an orchestra. Each project develops into a process of learning, analysis of the environment with its architectural forms and details, the “lost and found again” as the essence of any design quality. This attitude is extended by simultaneously looking back and understanding built culture, and at the same time looking forward to contemporary improved forms of living and housing. noa* subversively goes in search of traces, what is special about that place? Listening, letting the stories of the builders have an effect on you, and continue to write them in the architecture. Taking time for the place where the building is to take place, feeling the atmosphere, incorporating local conditions, and only then beginning to think, to plan, to project.
Falkensteiner: We have a lot of questions about the renovation of our flagship store in Ehrenburg!
- How did you come up with the idea of “playing on the roof”?
noa*: The project is a family hotel, where the many functions such as volleyball, skiing, bobby kart arena, skating, etc. with a lot of fun on a single platform, should be combined. And there is no better place than the roof, the most important place.
- What is particularly challenging about this conversion? Were/are there any hurdles regarding the realization of your concept?
noa*: The roof construction because of its shape and construction method was the most challenging. We work with different companies but also with universities to find innovative solutions, out of this finally came the idea to 3D print this roof structure with recycled plastic.
- What area of the hotel are you most looking forward to?
noa*: The hotel was designed with fun and lightheartedness in mind, not just for kids but for adults as well. And we think that this attitude is exactly what people need most in the post-Covid era.
- And last but not least: What else is important to you that our readers should definitely know about the project?
noa*: The most important thing about this hotel is not yet fully planned, but will certainly be a fantastic bar after this time, with “healthy” fun at the forefront!
Those who would like to convince themselves of this unique project must still have a little patience. Completion is scheduled for the end of July – until then you can find first impressions of what awaits you at the Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido on our website!
