Data centers are the buildings of our era. Do they have to be so boring?

"If a single type of building could define our present time, it would undoubtedly be the data center. Underpinning the increasingly online way we work, shop, and entertain ourselves, data centers provide the computing power and storage to handle all the Zoom calls, Amazon purchases, and Netflix streams a person can cram into their day. And now as compute-hungry artificial intelligence dominates the future of nearly every sector of the economy-and possibly society as a whole-the data center will become even more ubiquitous."

"A headlong data center building boom is already underway. One report finds that average monthly spending on data centers has increased 400% in the last two years, adding up to more than $50 billion in 2025 alone. One tally contends that there were more than 1,200 data centers either built or approved for construction in the U.S. by the end of 2024; another suggests the total number of data centers in the U.S. is now more than 4,100."

"The typical data center looks something like this: a cluster of large, rectangular warehouses 15 or 20 feet tall, each covering about the area of a professional soccer field. The building's walls are usually made from tilt-up concrete panels with little adornment. There are few windows, and if there were more they would look out on large outdoor clusters of equipment for cooling equipment, electricity generation, and wastewater treatment."

Data centers power the online activities of work, shopping, and entertainment by providing computing power and storage for video calls, e-commerce transactions, and streaming. Compute-hungry artificial intelligence is increasing demand, making data centers more ubiquitous across sectors. Average monthly spending on data centers rose 400% in two years, reaching more than $50 billion in 2025. Over 1,200 data centers were built or approved in the U.S. by the end of 2024, and the total U.S. count may exceed 4,100. Typical facilities are large, rectangular, windowless warehouses with tilt-up concrete panels, outdoor cooling and power equipment, and heavy security, creating a utilitarian, unadorned aesthetic.

Read at Fast Company