At a conference in Singapore, 2017, when speaking about reimagining tenemental cities Iain Macdonald advocated ‘people should be near the ground and machines in the air’ while presenting a concept for a super tall building in Hong Kong. Since then, technological innovation, changes in locational parameters, operational and environmental efficiency, materials and aesthetic expression are changing the dynamics and value of digital real estate. As it appears a significant proportion of Generative AI, Quantum Computing and ‘eyeball’ facilities will be situated within cities and require an altogether different physical architecture particularly where footprint, urban design and ESG requirements dictate outcomes.  Instance conceptualised a modular ‘Super Tall Data Centre (STDC) more than 100m in height for Barcelona in 2021 which would be powered by nuclear batteries (micro reactor). 

Currently two prototype STDC are in development based upon emergent IT processes, a human staffed facility STDC-P (populated) with zero carbon energy supply and traditional EPG eg UPS and stand-by generators and an alternative autonomous facility STDC-U (unpopulated) with zero carbon energy from an SMR or nuclear batteries providing resilience. 

The STDC have several distinguishing features including:

• a compact footprint 

• a stronger structural frame than traditional data centers 

• spatial programming which avoids hot and cold aisles or plenum 

• power density significantly above current racked solutions 

• mechanical plant distribution unconstrained by roof footprint 

• a performance envelope capable of adaptation over time.