Opening of the Headquarters Extension of the European Southern Observatory ESO in Garching

On December 4th, 2013 the extension of the European Southern Observatory ESO in Garching was opened with an official ceremony. The new buildings extrapolate the circular shaped floor plans of the existing administration built in 1980 in a modified way. On the one hand there is the convex-concave undulating office and conference building seemingly hovering above the landscape with its 270 workplaces, conference rooms and auditorium and its fish scale like, prismatically reflecting facade. And there is the matte black technical building cylinder firmly rooted to the ground with its perforated, corrugated metal cladding, housing data processing center and the assembly hall. A covered bridge, serving as a means of weather protection, connects the existing buildings with the new buildings creating a spatial and functional ensemble.