This data storage centre in Basel has a ridged shell of both perforated and solid steel panels, designed by Ffbk Architects to offer fragmented reflections of the sky and surroundings (+ slideshow).
The Datacube was made by neighborhood studio Ffbk Architects for communications and enjoyment company Quickline and is situated in the Münchenstein district to the south of the Swiss city.
The three-storey building homes servers and information storage gadgets for corporate IT and cloud computing applications. In accordance to the architects, it is the “most advanced data storage centre in Switzerland”.
Ffbk Architects developed a monolithic concrete and steel framework to incorporate two,500 square metres of storage. A planned basement was rejected as it could have been compromised by the building’s proximity to the Birs river.
The straightforward cubic type functions external walls manufactured from insulated sandwich panels. Its facades are completely clad in reflective steel panels with trapezoidal steel sections that produce a homogenous ridged surface.
“The concept of reflection as the metaphor of information reflecting our society’s cultural alter has led to a mirroring facade, stopping all intrusive views from the outside world,” explained the architects in a project description.
“The monolith reflects the instant surroundings and the sky on its stainless steel cladding,” they additional. “The statement of this compact creating seems very abstract in this rural neighbourhood.”
In regions exactly where windows are integrated into the elevations, perforated metal was utilised on the facade. It allows some light to enter and permits partial views out, even though limiting views into the building.
The arrangement of alternating sound and perforated sections disrupts the uniformity of the reflective surfaces and creates a subtly shifting stripy pattern that animates the facades.
A metal fence surrounding the facility adds to its nondescript appearance, contributing to the sense of protection. Planting alongside this fence provides a all-natural contrast to the building’s otherwise industrial layout.
The data centre’s interior incorporates an workplace, break region and meeting rooms on the ground floor, with the technical spaces occupying the upper amounts. Red flooring introduces a brightly coloured detail within the constructing and a black suspended metal ceiling diffuses the lighting positioned over it.
Sustainability was an important aspect in the layout. The overall vitality consumption of the creating is just 10 kilowatts per square metre.
Other examples of technical facility designs consist of a concrete and steel bunker that stores the British Film Institute’s entire film collection and an engineering investigation facility in Hungary.
