Silvio d'Ascia Architecture

Bank of Shanghai Data Processing Center

Silvio d'Ascia Architecture

12. June 2014

The data center as foundational element. Photo: Yves Chan You

Paris-based studio Silvio d’Ascia Architecture completes new data processing center for the Bank of Shanghai, its second such complex in Shanghai.

Data center office towers. Photo: Yves Chan You

The new project, conceived in partnership with AREP and Shanghai-based ECADI, is located in the Zhangjiang Innovation Park, situated about 21 km from Pudong. Imagined as a sort of "digital fortress," the complex includes roughly 12,500 m2 of data server rooms, with these spaces forming the foundation upon which rest other programmatic zones, such as offices, customer service centers, restaurants, and conference centers.

The uniform materiality of the site. Photo: Yves Chan You

Explains d’Ascia: "The idea was to give a certain solidity to the image of the bank. We wanted the center to reflect the strength of the financial institution housed within its walls."

The project’s conclusion comes on the heels of the studio’s recent data processing center for the Shanghai Futures Exchange. Both projects came about as the result of winning competition bids and continue the studio’s forary into highly-technical buildings for the digital age. "I truly believe this sort of building, the data center, is the future. Every company will need one," notes d’Ascia.

The data center as foundational element. Photo: Yves Chan You

The project centers on the theme of a "high-tech fortress," giving the Bank of Shanghai an image of strength and stability. Such a strength is reinforced through the use of a uniform foundation for the complex, which also happen to house the data center facilities. The remainder of the building program elements are located on, around, or beside this foundation.

Granite materiality reinforcing idea of digital fortress. Photo: Yves Chan You

To amplify the notion of a uniform foundation, the complex makes use of local Shanghai granite as a facade treatment. This vernacular stone, with its calm gray tint, is impressively set off against the glass and aluminum brise-soleil system that envelops the central office tower.

Building Program. Image: Silvio d'Ascia Architecture & AREP

01 Conference center (2 000 m2)
02 Hotel and residential tower (3 600 m2)
03 Education center (3 000 m2)
04 Data center (12 500 m2)
05 Upper-level management offices (7 000 m2)
06 Accounting center (6 800 m2)
07 Data center support offices (23 500 m2)
08 Banking card center (11 100 m2)
09 Customer service center (6 500 m2)
10 Underground parking (45 000 m2)