This is where your Facebook, Google and Netflix data is stored

Chances are your data traffic on sites and apps from Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Netflix are stored here, as some 38% of all Dutch data traffic ends up here.

4200 data cabinets

AM4 has a size of 23,182 m2 GLA and is located in the middle of the Amsterdam Science Park. Phase one covered the installation of 120 thousand servers and 1555 data cabinets. Phase two added another 2645 data cabinets. AM4 was realized according to the American LEED certification. This certification sets stringent requirements for sustainability, design and operational performance.

Eye-catcher in Amsterdam Skyline

Amsterdam's skyline is becoming richer and richer. AM4, as a 72-meter-high eye-catcher along the A10, contributes well to this. Not only are data centers growing in height more often, they are also growing in numbers. It's a real growth market. The data center completed in 2017 - AM3 - quickly ran out of space, so AM4 was ordered to be built.

Transformation into laboratory or apartments is possible

Equipped with thermal energy storage systems that allow generated heat to be used for other buildings in the Science Park, the AM4 data center is one of the most sustainable of its kind. It is also a highly flexible building, should the need for server space change in the future.

The storey heights offer the possibility of adding additional levels, and the modular facade can be easily disassembled and recycled. That means the future-proof building can be transformed into a laboratory, office space or even apartments if needed.

Exterior appearance dependent on weather conditions and perspective

The two lower volumes of AM3 and the high-rise AM4 are surrounded by a moat that serves as the first layer of security, a friendlier alternative to traditional fencing. Together, the three volumes form a compact but elegant ensemble with their contrasting facades of black and silver aluminum.

The high-rise is made of triangular aluminum profiles, which are black on one side and silver on the other. The profiles become narrower and narrower toward the top of the building. This creates an optical illusion that makes the tower look sleeker and more human. Also special about the exterior, is that it changes appearance with different weather conditions and depending on the angle from which you approach it. Benthem Crouwel Architects is responsible for the design.

Lots of data from giants like Google and Microsoft stored in Amsterdam

In particular, the reason for new data centers comes from the rise of the Internet of Things. This means that in the future, all devices will be connected to the Internet. And because all actions of people and devices on the Internet result in data, storage space is needed to store that data.

Data from major tech, social media and content companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Netflix is stored here. In total, Equinix's Amsterdam data centers handle about 38 percent of Dutch data traffic.

An Engineering Superintendent, a Mechanical Engineering BIM Modeler and an Electrical Engineering Superintendent from Velox applied their knowledge and skills to make the data centers ready for use. Also want to work on a project like this? Go to velox.co.uk