Intacture, the data center inside an active mine in Val di Non

In the Val di Non, nestled within the Trentino Dolomites, rises Europe’s first data center built inside an active mine. The underground digital infrastructure, named Intacture, is located within the dolomite quarry of the company Tassullo, marking a true paradigm shift for the data industry in the era of digital transition.

The project was initiated by Trentino Data Mine, a public–private company led by the University of Trento, and designed by In-Site, an integrated architecture and engineering firm founded by Pietro Matteo Foglio, specialized in data center design. The project is funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with completion scheduled for the end of 2025.

Intacture, a Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure

Intacture is a next-generation digital infrastructure, fully integrated into the surrounding territory and conceived as a replicable model of sustainability, energy efficiency, and industrial regeneration.

The project is intrinsically designed to have a minimal environmental impact. Building the data center within the quarry — which already hosts underground chambers used for storing local produce such as apples and for wine fermentation — makes it possible to minimize land use.

Because the mine remains active in the extraction of dolomite and natural hydraulic lime, constructing the reinforced concrete structure on-site represents a unique opportunity for a zero-kilometer circular economy, integrating extraction, production, and construction into a single process.

Furthermore, 80% of the infrastructure lies up to 100 m below ground, protected by 90 million m³ of rock, which ensures unparalleled physical, electromagnetic, and hydrogeological security for the data stored within.

An Organic, Integrated System

Intacture has been conceived as a coherent, interconnected system, where architecture and landscape, structural and mechanical engineering, and technical culture and territorial vision are inextricably intertwined.

The project unfolds along the natural slope of the site, articulating functional spaces and paths immersed in nature. Built volumes blend into the terrain with vegetated roofs and soft architectural lines, ensuring a harmonious integration into the wooded landscape. The functional program is divided into two parts — one above ground and one underground — connected by a vertical shaft (fornello). At the surface stand technical buildings, management offices, and a campus for the local community, while the server rooms are located underground.

Intacture operates entirely on renewable energy. Large glazed façades on the three above-ground buildings maximize natural light, while heating and cooling are managed through energy-recovery heat pumps, complemented by a photovoltaic system that reduces overall consumption.

Behind the main Data Center Building, the 40-meter-tall vertical shaft (fornello) links energy, data, and ventilation flows between the outside environment and the underground infrastructure. The campus area, designed as a mountain landscape extension, features a stone staircase that encourages social interaction and moments of pause.

A Hub for Innovation and Community

L'opera, del valore complessivo di 50,2 milioni di euro – 18,4 dei quali finanziati tramite fondi PNRR e i restanti 31,8 da risorse private – è promossa da Trentino Data Mine con il sostegno di un raggruppamento di imprese di eccellenza. Tra queste figurano Dedagroup, acceleratore di tecnologie e business, il Gruppo GPI, specializzato in digitalizzazione in ambito sanitario, ISA (Istituto Atesino di Sviluppo), e l’impresa Covi Costruzioni. Un progetto integrato tra architettura, ingegneria, paesaggio e comunità a cura di In-Site.

Valued at €50.2 million — including €18.4 million from PNRR funding and €31.8 million in private investment — the project is promoted by Trentino Data Mine with the support of a network of leading companies, including Dedagroup (technology and business accelerator), GPI Group (healthcare digitalization specialist), ISA – Istituto Atesino di Sviluppo, and Covi Costruzioni. The project represents a holistic integration of architecture, engineering, landscape, and community, curated by In-Site.

Intacture has been conceived as a hub of innovation and collaboration, fostering the exchange of knowledge and advanced technologies. It is envisioned as a university-oriented space open to the community, with areas dedicated to events, exhibitions, and educational initiatives involving students and local stakeholders.

“By integrating technology, sustainability, and community development, with Intacture we have redefined the boundaries of the data center”, says Pietro Matteo Foglio, founder of In-Site. “Our goal is to create a space that interacts with both people and place, with a special sensitivity to the natural environment”.