Paranal Observatory, the world’s most advanced optical observatory, will serve as villain Dominic Greene's "lair" for the upcoming 22nd James Bond film "Quantum of Solace".

In an official press release yesterday it was revealed that the complex, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile, would serve as the backdrop for several key scenes.

Shooting will take place along the nearby airstrip, and mostly around the base camp's 'Residencia' - an enclosed tropical garden and pool under a futuristic domed roof that helps workers unwind in the harsh high-altitude desert which is the single driest place in the entire world.

After leaving Paranal at the end of the week, the crew will shoot in other locations close to Antofagasta. Other sequences have been filmed in Panama and, following the Chilean locations, the unit will be travelling to Italy and Austria before returning to Pinewood Studios near London in May.

Pictures of the 'Residencia' are included below: