Amelioration; Information and Architecture - A Constructed Public Identity

Data Centres are a consequence of our overuse of energy and dependence on information storage. They are an integral, yet, anti-human global infrastructure. Ephemeral aluminium buildings, spaces without windows, places without feeling, a by-product of our interdependence on data and the cloud. The challenge is to form an updated typology: a Public Data Centre. A civic and educational space that advances a communities understanding of the towns future through localised gathering of data. A structure that performs civic-oriented duties rather than being a for-profit machine. An energy monastery.

The Public Data Centre, an extension to the urban realm of Athlone, an enhanced civic space that interacts with street and river. At it’s centre sits the public space and amphitheater, surrounded by a cloister offering connections to data server aisles, data archives, a library, public information display halls and offices for personal data interaction. An open order is formed to be hospitable, offering areas for social gatherings and educational events. This site, on the alluvial soil of the River Shannon is positioned adjacent to the nearby castle and cathedral which stand for the historical power centers that molded the town’s character. It was chosen to facilitate the flow of water beneath the building's mass-stone structure. This approach allows the hydrocooling of data halls, using stored river water. Proximity to the river also encourages growth of reed beds and the flourishing of river fauna, creating a symbiotic relationship between the built and nature. Transforming the reclaimed land into a dynamic ecosystem. The Mass-stone and recycled concrete frame is clad with a lightweight timber facade. The building is constructed with low carbon and local materials which will enhance the longevity of the structure. The societal appreciation of this building is crucial to expanding its lifespan, a building that is seen as disposable will suffer from neglect. A Public Data Centre urges societal engagement through the analysis of stored data. It serves the town and community that surrounds it by using river generated hydroelectric power and recycling heat from server aisles into a district heating system, giving agency to the information, enhancing the livelihoods of the public through their stored data. Open to people. Ran by communities, and utilised by populations.