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NOA - Italy

Lukas Rungger and Stefan Rier met while working as project architects with the renowned architect and designer Matteo Thun in Milan, being responsible for a series of challenging projects in the field of tourism, modern living and contemporary workplaces.

Before joining forces to found noa* back home in Bozen/Bolzano in 2010, both Lukas and Stefan improved their skills and finetuned their work-ethos during a decade of work experiences both locally and abroad.

They gained particularly diverse cultural and social influences from living and working in New York, London, Berlin, Milan, Ferrara and Graz...which until present remains the crucial influence and input on their recent designs.

Lukas Rungger (born 1977) graduated in architecture from Technical University Graz (Austria) and worked first as architect and project leader with Prof. Hans Gangoly in Graz and then moved to London to work with Softroom and finally in Milan with Matteo Thun. After having gained his diploma in Brooklyn (NYC) and his professional qualification as architect from IUAV Venezia (Italy), Lukas has been extensively involved in a variety of projects mainly in the field of urban planning, housing, hotels and interior architecture of bars, shops and restaurants. He was a member of the Royal Institute of British Architecture and is now a member of the Architectural Chamber of Bozen/Bolzano.

Stefan Rier (born 1979) graduated in interior design from Centro Studi „Andrea Palladio“ Verona (Italy) and in architecture from Technical University Ferrara (Italy). He worked first as architect and project leader with Arch. Demetz, and then moved to Bergamo to work with Prof. Massimiliano Mandarini and finally in Milan with Matteo Thun. He received his professional qualification as interior designer and architect from Universita di Genova. Stefan has been focusing on a series of projects from sustainable housing to hotels, extending to interiors, landscaping and bespoke furniture design. He is now a member of the Architectural Chamber of Bozen/Bolzano.

Project Description

The Hotel Hubertus is located in Valdaora, at the foot of the famous ski and hiking area Kronplatz in the Puster Valley at an altitude of about 1350 m. The family establishment was generously enhanced and enlarged with 16 new suites, a new kitchen with restaurants and “Stuben”, an entrance area with lobby, reception and wine cellar and a fitness and a relaxation room with panoramic terraces. The new 25 m long pool, functioning as a connector between old and new, underlines the essence of this comprehensive renovation and renewal project.

By creating an unified, rhythmically alternating façade with native larch tree trunks noa* connects "old and new" in a consistent manner. The homogeneous appearance, following the natural topography of the area, creates the theatrical base for the design of the new, cantilevering pool, which thrones between the old and new accommodation wings, floating between heaven and earth…

The key challange in the project was to create a link between the exisiting building and the new design, in order to keep a uniformal and consistent appearance. The debarked larch trunks, which were used as multifunctional façade elements for the existing and new building, succeed in creating this aesthetical connection. The multifunctional façade elements of debarked larch trunks create an optical link between existing and new, maintaining the homogeneous appearance of the project. They not only support the dynamics of the curved façade, but function also as sun screens, room dividers and rain protectors, further enhancing the feeling of privacy and in addition to this forming the static basis for the cantilevering pool and façade.

The highlight of the project is the new sky pool, floating like a natural rock over the new accommodation wing. Without any visible boarders, a width of 5 m, a length of 25 m and a depth of 1,30 m the over 17 m cantilevering pool can be seen as completely unique. The position of the pool, which floats 12 m above the ground, at its extreme edge, gives the swimmer the feeling of floating – weightlessly between heaven and earth. This impression is further reinforces by the glass front and a glazed window on the bottom of the pool.