What is a PowerHouse?
Data centres are buildings that provide space, power and cooling for the network infrastructure that makes our digital lives possible. The identity and exhibition design reflects the magical and sinister nature of these buildings.
Naver's Gas Chuncheon Data Centre, South Korea
A graphic history
The concept for the identity is based in the very early process of gathering and storing data. Ourvisual inspiration is the famous yetalmost forgotten‘Punched Cards’ that were the instruction tools for early computers.
Using the visual language of these off-line devices, mixed with a typography that makes clear reference to programming and the digital world, we created a unique visual language for the exhibition. The colour and material palette was inspired by the physical elements of data centres: from fibre optic cables to steel and aluminium.
Alongside the graphics, the futuristic nature of the gallery space (designed by Zaha Hadid), we intent to create an immersive experience intended to make visitors feel like they were inside a ‘Power House’. The dark and brooding material and bespoke structures create the rigid atmosphere to illustrate the experience.
The importance of the material choice
Following the studio’s intrinsic sustainable approach, we used this exhibition as an opportunity to try new a new recycled material: stokbord. This material is delivered as a robust and durable recycled plastic sheet, made from 100% recycled LDPE plastic.
This material gave us the cold/industrial feeling we wanted for the exhibition alongside a great set of recycled credentials.
