The European Southern Observatory (ESO) operates the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on the Cerro Paranal, a mountain in the northern part of the Atacama desert in Chile. The VLT is the world’s most powerful earthbased telescope. Beneath the summit, at a height of some 2,400 meters, lies the hotel for the ESO scientists and engineers who work here on a roster system.
For the relatively short time of their stays under extreme climatic conditions – intense sunlight, extreme dryness, high wind speeds, great fluctuations in temperature and the danger of earthquakes – a place has been created far away from civilization where they can relax and rest between the strenuous phases of their work. Reminiscent of an oasis, it provides 120 hotel rooms, a canteen, and lounge areas, as well as a swimming pool, fitness center and library.
The hotel complex fits snugly into an existing depression in the ground, acting as an artificial support wall. It does nothing to impede the breathtaking view over the horizon out to the Pacific Ocean. This emphasis on reflecting nature sets the hotel in direct and deliberate contrast to the high-tech telescope complex atop Cerro Paranal’s summit.
A single element of the hotel's structure is visible above the horizon: a slightly raised dome comprising a steel skeleton that measures 35 meters in diameter. It rises up above the central lounge area and creates a formal counterpart to the telescope’s enormous concave mirrors.
Project information
Gros square area: 12.000m2
Gros cubic volume: 40.000m3
Main floor space: 8.000m2
Total building costs: € 11,0 Mio.
Awards
2004 International architectural prize „Dedalo Minosse” 2003/2004, acclamation
2004 Leaf-Awards 2004 - categories „New Build” and „Overall”
2005 Cityscape Architectural Review Awards 2005
Publications
DAB 9/2000
- Baumeister 06/2002
- „Architektur Jahrbuch Bayern“ 2002, Callwey
- Bauwelt 25/02
- Wallpaper 10-2002
- CASABELLA 704-2002
- DAM Jahrbuch 2002 Architektur in Deutschland
- ARCHICRÉÉ 306-2002
- SPACE n.421 0212, Magazine Seoul,Korea
- Techniques & architecture, avril-mai 465-2003
- The Architectural Review June 2003
- a+u 396, 09/03
- „Patina“, Hans Weidinger, DVA 2003
- Intelligente Architektur 09-10-2003-12-15
- Hotel architecture 1990-2005, Federico Motta, 2003
- Via arquitectura „Ecotipos/Ecotypes“, Spain 2004
- C3 topic „cultural facility II“, Korea 2005
- „21st Century Hotel“, Graham Vickers, Laurence King Publishing, London 2005 - „iconic design hotels“, Carles Broto, structure, Spain 2005
- Architektur & Technik 11/05
- Architecture Now!, 4, Taschen, 2006
- Lufthansa magazine 08/06
