9 Data Centers: Unexpected Beauty And Creativity
, October 04, 2012 Most data centers are boring boxes--but not all. Take a look at a data center that houses a supercomputer in a chapel, or an underground data center with James Bond-styling, or a solar-powered data center, and much, much more.
The Historic Landmark Data Center
The Lakeside Technology Center in Chicago is a registered historic landmark, originally constructed between 1912 and1914. It was converted into space for telecom companies around the turn of the century and houses multiple data centers. It is considered one of the world's largest carrier hotels and has more power capacity than Chicago O'Hare International Airport. It uses an 8.5 million gallon tank for thermal storage. Originally designed and built for the RR Donnelley Printing company, it is now owned by Digital Realty Trust. The strong floors that once held up printing presses now support rows of switches, routers, storage systems, and standby power generators. Image courtesy of Digital Realty Trust.
