Helping Digital Realty repurpose a listed Frankfurt landmark for modern data centre use. Bringing ICT, mechanical and electrical design together while working within the constraints of the existing building and its protected heritage.
Digital Realty is developing Digital Park Fechenheim on the former Neckermann headquarters site in east Frankfurt. The wider campus will include 11 new data centres, with approximately 100,000m² of IT space. FRA19 forms part of the existing Eiermann building, which is being adapted to accommodate five data centres within the wider development.
The challenge was to introduce critical data centre infrastructure into a building with an established structure, existing site services and significant architectural heritage. Designed by Egon Eiermann, the former Neckermann building is a listed monument protected by the State Office of Hesse for the Preservation of Monuments. Its conversion therefore needed to balance new technical requirements with the conservation of important existing features.
Ethos provided full ICT, mechanical and electrical design services as the project progressed from RIBA Stage 1 feasibility through to Stage 2. We also acted as Design Manager, coordinating the design with existing building services, heritage requirements and lessons learned from completed areas of the wider campus.
For FRA19, the design provides 9.87MW of IT power across two ground-floor data halls, supported by technical spaces on Levels 0 and 1. Approximately 9,300m² of commercial office accommodation, together with canteen space, occupies the floors above. The Ethos scope also covered the internal fit-out design for FRA19 and FRA57.
Sustainability was considered from the outset. During Stage 1, Ethos developed the LEED scorecard to target a Silver rating, embedding the environmental requirements into the early design process.
The result at RIBA Stage 2 is a coordinated design that brings new critical infrastructure into an important existing building while respecting its heritage context — supporting Digital Realty’s continued development of the wider Frankfurt campus.
