Vögele

First mentioned in 1277 and owned by the Kamaun family since 1840, the “Red Eagle” (Roter Adler) – now lovingly known to guests and friends as the “Vögele,” or little bird – has been featured in many stories and tales. The site was home to secret meetings during World War II, and the password, "Vögele", was known to only the most powerful and connected wartime tacticians.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German literary luminary of the 18th and 19th centuries, also appreciated the institution’s very special nature, since even back then the Red Eagle menu featured an outstanding selection of delicacies. Today, the restaurant still hosts the longest-standing regular meeting of patrons anywhere in South Tyrol, with guests gathering to debate and discuss current topics.

Artist, host city personality, life artist, original, jack of all trades: This is Karl Kamaun. noa* (network of architecture) designed the new dining area of the traditional "Vögele" restaurant in the middle of the historic center of Bolzano.

The redesigned "Kamaun Stube" aims to become an inspiring tribute to Karl Kamaun. Two opposing walls, one with a ceiling high self-portrait, the other with an ancient photograph showing the artist at work, evolve within a spacial dialogue that aims to define the new atmosphere.

“Even as a child I was always drawing - and finally Albert Stolz’s home felt like my home!”
- Karl Kamaun.

The 2 opposite walls show a large-scale self-portrait of the owner and a photograph of the artist at work. Circular bronzed glasses and mirrors work as filters to enhance the visual juxtaposition. The remaining walls, once disappeared under wallpapers, are now re-exposed and painted in soft tones.

The existing wooden floor dating back to the Biedermeier period was reprocessed. New wooden tables and bespoke chair covers create an elegant ambience. Two large spherical lamps plated with gold leaf, designed specifically for this project and made by hand from a local craftsman, hang from the ceiling and through their faceted reflections manage to create a truly diverse and continously changing spacial happening.

The culinary professionals at the Vögele are a practiced team – and they know just how to keep things fresh, adding spark to traditional South Tyrol fare with locally grown organics and using creative, refined techniques to showcase the very best of traditional regional cuisine.