The Paranal Residencia

Top view of the Paranal Residencia at the ESO VLT Observatory. Natural daylight is brought into the building through a 35-m wide glass-covered dome, a rectangular courtyard roof and various skylight hatches. Taking advantage of an existing depression in the ground, the architects created a unique subterranean construction with a single facade opening towards the Pacific Ocean, far below at a distance of about 12 km. It has the same colour as the desert and blends perfectly into the surroundings. The Paranal Residencia is the stage for scenes in the James Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace".