AEWORLDMAP.COM (3,000+ posts)

The guesthouse at the La Silla Observatory is probably not as luxurious as the Residencia at Paranal, but the view out of the window at night is at least as good.

The swimming pool at the lowest floor of the Residencia was introduced into the project as a part of the humidification system. However, it also serves as an important psychological element that helps to overcome the harsh living conditions, especially for the permanent staff.

The entire arc of Milky Way, full of gas and dust, star clusters and emission nebulae, is a luminous background for the ESO-operated Very Large Telescope (VLT). The VLT is based at the Cerro Paranal site in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, and it houses four 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes known as Antu, Kueyen, Melipal and Yepun, shown here lined up in front of a stunning starry backdrop. (Miguel Claro / ESO)

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Building: ESO Hotel (Residencia)
Location: Antofagasta, Chile (Atacama)
Architect: Auer + Weber + Assoziierte
Interior: Paula Gutiérrez Erlandsen
Structural: Mayr + Ludescher
MEP: HL-Technik
Client: European Southern Observatory
Use: Located beneath summit of Cerro Paranal, where the VLT (Very Large Telescope) is located (largest telescope in the world) 2500 m above. ESO scientist and engineers stay here on roster system.
Construction: 2002
Awards:
2005 Cityscape Architectural Review Awards,
2004 Leaf Awards Kategorien “New Build Overall” 

AE Interest:
It fits in a depression in the ground, so it does not impede the view of the landscape. Therefore the only thing visible above Verizon is the steel skeleton (35 meters in diameter). Long Brick Entrance and skylit dome. Mostly Concrete Structure because it’s economical and combats heat. Mist-like water sprays in the garden and natural evaporation from the pool create a subtropical climate (feeling of oasis inside). Earthquake protection: Concrete blocks anchored to ground with fiberglass mats.

Fun Fact: Bad guy lair in Quantum of Solace (James Bond)

Articles:
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