Ardeth (Nov 2019)
Data (Centers) Controversies
Abstract
Datacenters are a new building typology, whose characteristics and relationships with politics, culture and economics are still undefined, unquestioned and in flux. Reflecting on the architecture of datacenters, this visual essay examines their role in infrastructural espionage, science fiction, climate change, and processes of automation. As data production, consumption and aggregation grow exponentially, what impact do datacenters have on their environment? What do they actually look like on the inside? What role do humans play in their operations? And what role could or should architects play in shaping the future of data centers and more in general of architectures for machines?
