Digital Realty has broken ground on a new data center in Glattbrugg, Switzerland, adding 15 megawatts of IT capacity to its Zurich campus. The facility, named ZUR4, will span roughly 6,300 square meters and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
The project expands the company's existing Swiss campus, which already includes ZUR1, ZUR2, and ZUR3. Digital Realty says the new building is designed for high-density deployments and AI workloads, with cooling systems and an energy-efficient architecture meant to handle the requirements of machine learning applications. The campus offers direct cloud connectivity and links into PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global network of more than 300 data centers.
Digital Realty's European portfolio, including its Swiss facilities, runs on 100% renewable energy. The company also noted that its ZUR2 facility received the first PLATINUM Plus certification from the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association (SDEA), a sustainability rating for data center operations in the country.
Local demand and digital sovereignty
The company frames ZUR4 as a response to customer needs for data location, resilience, and connectivity. It also positions the investment within a broader European expansion that includes ongoing construction in Frankfurt (FRA20) and Vienna (VIE13).
"Our continued investments in Zurich and across Europe - including the ongoing construction of FRA20 in Frankfurt and VIE13 in Vienna - reflect both the strategic importance of the region and the growing demand for AI-optimized, data-sovereign and sustainable digital infrastructure," said Yves Zischek, Managing Director of Digital Realty in Austria and Switzerland. "With ZUR4 and the continued expansion of our campus in Glattbrugg, we are creating a future-proof ecosystem that connects more than 200 customers on-site and more than 6,000 customers worldwide."
Two local politicians welcomed the project. Barbara Franzen, a member of the Cantonal Council for the FDP in Zurich, said the investment "secures jobs and innovative capacity" and strengthens the region's digital self-determination. Nik Gugger, a member of the National Council and president of the Swiss Cyber Security Days, called secure, locally anchored data infrastructure "crucial to our country's digital future."
Construction timeline
Digital Realty plans to complete ZUR4 in 2028. The company has not disclosed the total investment amount for the project.
Why this matters for real estate and construction professionals
Data center construction remains one of the few commercial building segments with sustained demand across Europe. For contractors, engineers, and developers, ZUR4 represents a multi-year project with specialized requirements around cooling systems, power distribution, and structural design for high-density server loads. The SDEA PLATINUM Plus certification on ZUR2 also signals that sustainability ratings are becoming a differentiator in this niche, which may affect how future bids are evaluated. Professionals tracking the sector can monitor how Digital Realty sequences its European builds - ZUR4, FRA20, and VIE13 are all moving in parallel - as an indicator of where institutional capital is flowing in the region. For those looking to build skills in this area, AI for Real Estate & Construction resources cover how machine learning is reshaping project planning and facility operations. An AI Learning Path for Real Estate Brokers also addresses how data center demand is changing commercial property valuations.
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