Architecture firm OfficeUntitled has unveiled an updated design for a proposed data center across the street from the Whole Foods Market and Bottega Louie in Downtown Los Angeles.

The project from Digital Realty, slated to replace a parking garage located at 727 S. Grand Avenue, calls for the construction of a 13-story building featuring roughly 480,000 square feet of space for servers, as well as a small amount of office space and parking for on-site employees.

View looking northwest from Grand AvenueOfficeUntitled

"Transforming what could have been hidden infrastructure, 727 Grand delights as a striking, sculptural urban data center," reads a narrative released by OfficeUntitled. "Sited at the nexus of dense global transpacific fiber lines, the project addresses the entertainment and tech industries’ growing demand for secure, low-latency data storage. Its windowless façade embraces the opportunity to redefine infrastructure, transforming the absence of windows into a bold interplay of form and function, allowing light and shadow to sculpt the building....The façade’s rhythmic composition of triangular panels, shifting in scale along the building’s length, creates a dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and reflection."

Plans for a new data center - which would be among several situated along Grand Avenue in Downtown - is driven by ever-increasing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud storage. The Los Angeles Times recently described a neighboring data center at the One Wilshire tower up the street as "the mother of all data centers in the West."

Likewise, the design for the 727 Grand project is shaped by plans for a neighboring property to the south, where Mitsui Fudosan America has secured approvals for a 50-story high-rise which would be among the city's tallest residential towers. Digital Realty had previously sought to block construction of the project, due to design requirements that would force it to set back the upper levels of the data center from the residential building. While the Austin-based company had previously appealed the residential development, it dropped its opposition prior to a City Council hearing on the matter.

The result is a new terrace deck overlooking the southern property line of 727 Grand.

Aerial view looking northwestOfficeUntitled

"A landscaped terrace adds a serene counterpoint, infusing nature into the urban experience and enriching the quality of life for neighboring residents," reads the design narrative. "At street level, the veil gently lifts, dissolving the boundary between the building and its urban surroundings. This openness fosters a connection with the community, allowing the active program within to engage the public"

The project, which has yet to receive city entitlements, is proposed to be powered by renewable energy. An environmental study has estimated that construction would commence for the building in 2025.

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram