Overlooking the Residencia

The award-winning Residencia office and accommodation building at the Paranal Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert appears to extend out, and disappear, into the foot of the Cerro Paranal mountain in this spectacular shot.

This four-storey building has the majority of its structure buried underground. Those structures that remained above-ground were designed to complement the surrounding environment. Therefore, from certain angles, the building has an almost camouflage-like design.

In the distance, the VLT Unit Telescopes can also be seen sitting atop Cerro Paranal, overlooking the astronomers and other staff members residing within the Residencia's walls.