Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects designs structural stone data centre in Sweden

Paris-based studio Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects has unveiled plans for a data centre in Sweden, which will be housed in silo-like forms built from structural stone.

Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects first developed proposals for stone data centres across Europe, named Stone Clouds, in 2022 for cloud service provider Evroc.

The studio has received planning approval to build its first Stone Cloud near Stockholm Arlanda Airport, which will begin construction this year.

Working with engineering firm Webb Yates and local architecture studio Metod Arkitekter, the Sweden-based Stone Cloud will be made from standardised structural granite panels, chosen for their high compressive strength and lower carbon footprint compared to concrete.

By building with sustainable materials, Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects hopes to reduce the environmental impact of data centres, which consume a large amount of energy and require vast amounts of water for cooling.

"The aim is to lower the carbon footprint of data centres through smarter, sustainable buildings that last, that can be converted or eventually recycled," studio founder Carl Fredrik Svenstedt told Dezeen.

"Where there is stone, massive walls give inertia to stabilise temperatures throughout the seasons, while ensuring security and solidity for these strategic sites," Svenstedt continued. "The significant amount of energy used is reduced, conserved and recycled."

Two oval-shaped towers will enclose rectangular cores containing servers, with the surrounding curved space containing access, supply and cooling shafts.

The cylindrical volumes will be placed atop a triangular base, which will contain electrical and mechanical spaces, a recuperation plant, a maintenance hall and offices.

Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects designed the data centre to have a silhouette that recalls silos and industrial buildings, intending for the structure to be adaptable to other functions in the future.

"Built to last, the data centres are conceived to evolve, both to expand for their current use but also to change program," said Svenstedt.

"Like the beloved industrial buildings of the past, the data centres are made to one day become offices, housing, or even cultural destinations like museums."

Svenstedt hopes to add to the Swedish data centre and build a portfolio of Stone Clouds across Europe, each made from a type of stone that suits the local context and materials available.

"[Data centres] are a fundamental infrastructure of our contemporary world," he said. "We must both accept and assume their presence."

"We can certainly build them better, both as more efficient buildings and as a presence that can be integrated into our landscape and culture, like historic castles, cathedrals and factories."

Another data centre designed to have a smaller carbon footprint is Gensler's plan for a data centre made from cross-laminated timber for Microsoft.

Last year, a report by BloombergNEF found that the data centre expansion required to support artificial intelligence is expected to keep fossil fuels in use for longer, setting back efforts to transition to renewable energy.

The images are by Luxigon.

Project credits:

Architects: Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architects
Local architect: Metod Arkitekter
Structural stone engineers: Webb Yates
Systems engineers: Granlunds
Structural engineers: Looström
Landscape architecture: Mark Landscape Architects
Developer: Arlandastad Group

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