Vantage Data Centers announces the opening of its second London facility, LHR2, in September 2025. The 194,000-square-foot campus combines cutting-edge sustainability with cultural innovation, including Europe’s largest public art installation, to strengthen London’s position as a global digital hub.
Vantage Data Centers is set to open its second London data centre campus, LHR2, at the end of September 2025, marking a significant expansion in the UK’s digital infrastructure landscape. Situated in the Park Royal district, this 194,000-square-foot (18,000 square meters) facility will offer 20MW of IT capacity, representing a £250 million investment into the local economy. The new campus comes less than a year after the company announced its first London campus, LHR1, a £500 million development in the PowerGate district of North Acton, solidifying Vantage’s growing footprint in one of the world’s most important data centre markets.
A standout feature of the LHR2 campus is its integration with the London Design Festival, running from 13 to 21 September 2025, which coincides with the data centre’s launch. The site includes one of Europe’s largest permanent public art installations, titled “11 Million Dots.” Created by London-based artist Rafael El Baz, and commissioned with input from art consultancy Loom, this installation transforms the building’s six-storey façade into a cultural landmark. El Baz’s work translates ambient noise, machinery sounds, and over 120 audio interviews with local residents into binary code and audio waveforms. These are then visualised as 11 million perforations that evoke the imagery of microchips, maps, and city landscapes, paying homage to Park Royal’s industrial past while also celebrating its contemporary revitalisation as an urban hub.
David Howson, president of EMEA at Vantage Data Centers, emphasised the significance of the campus in supporting digital growth trends, commenting, “Our unrivalled ability to scale rapidly…is helping our global hyperscale customers seize the massive opportunities made possible with cloud computing and AI.” He noted that the campus was referenced by the UK Prime Minister in the announcement of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan earlier this year, underlining the project’s strategic relevance. Howson also highlighted the community-driven art initiative, describing it as a tribute to Park Royal’s historic role in the nation’s industrial and economic stability.
Sustainability is another cornerstone of the LHR2 design, aligning with Vantage’s commitment to energy efficiency. The facility is built to BREEAM Excellent standards and incorporates advanced sustainable technologies such as air and water source heat pumps, which optimize environmental performance. Additionally, the campus is compliant with the Urban Greening Factor, reflecting its contribution to local biodiversity initiatives. A particularly innovative feature is its connection to the local district heating network, enabling the repurposing of waste heat generated by the data centre, thus reducing environmental impact. This complements the campus’s low power usage effectiveness (PUE), signalling high energy efficiency.
Security and operational resilience are ensured through robust engineering and systems design. Located less than a mile from LHR1 and within 30 minutes of Heathrow Airport and central London, the campus boasts N+1 redundancy across all systems, a highly efficient closed-loop chilled water system with air-side economizers, and diverse fibre pathways. On-site security includes a dedicated operations centre with 24/7 patrols, CCTV coverage, and dual authentication protocols for sensitive areas, ensuring reliability and client data protection.
Rafael El Baz expressed his satisfaction with the project, stating, “This project was about rethinking what a data centre can represent. These buildings are usually hidden in plain sight, yet here we’ve shown they can stand proudly as cultural landmarks.” He elaborated that by embedding the voices and sounds of the local community into the fabric of the building, the data centre preserves and celebrates Park Royal’s identity, demonstrating that infrastructure can move beyond function to become socially sustainable and meaningful.
The addition of LHR2 builds on the momentum created by Vantage’s initial London entry and reflects broader trends in data centre development focused on integrating technology, sustainability, and community engagement. As London continues to emerge as a critical node in the global digital economy, projects like this underscore the role of infrastructure not only in supporting technological advancement but also in enhancing the cultural and environmental fabric of the city.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the announcement dated September 11, 2025, and the event coinciding with the London Design Festival from September 13-21, 2025. ([vantage-dc.com](https://vantage-dc.com/news/vantage-data-centers-announces-opening-of-second-london-campus-with-landmark-public-art-installation/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The quotes from David Howson and Rafael El Baz are unique to this announcement, with no prior matches found online.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Vantage Data Centers’ official press release, a reputable source for company announcements.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about the LHR2 campus, including its size, capacity, investment, and integration with the London Design Festival, are consistent with other reputable sources. ([vantage-dc.com](https://vantage-dc.com/news/vantage-data-centers-announces-opening-of-second-london-campus-with-landmark-public-art-installation/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, originating from a reputable source, and the claims are consistent with other reputable sources, indicating a high level of credibility.
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