LLLAB's Spark 716 AI Data Center in Beijing Reveals Infrastructure as Architectural Expression

LLLAB, an architectural firm based in Shanghai, has finalized the construction of Spark 716, an AI data center located in the 798 Art District of Beijing. The structure features prominent ventilation ducts and server rooms, which are likened to the building's "breathing and heartbeat." Its exterior is defined by a steel grid enveloped in LED netting, offering a vibrant appearance. Founders Hanxiao Liu and Luis Ricardo remarked that the design represents the intersection of architecture and artificial intelligence. The facility comprises public and office spaces, a plaza, event areas, workspaces, a theatre named the Computing Power Theatre, and an Enterprise Command Center, which will host China's annual JXQ AI Forum. LLLAB's previous projects include bamboo shelters in Yangshuo and a hotel near Beijing. Photography credits go to Arch-Exist Photography and Fernando Guerra.