Legler's textile factories are becoming data centers

In one warm summer afternoon in June, our team was travelling to Bergamo, Italy for a long weekend. While team ungleich was marvelling at the beautiful landscape beyond the train windows, a friendly Italian passenger joined the conversation.

Trying to give them some local input, she kindly introduced a handful of  local gems. When we go along this river, further, there’s the source of Sal Pelegrino. Yes, the famous mineral water. And there’s the factory of Legler, and there is the very famous bridge of…
 

Legler?!

The team ungleich couldn’t believe their ears. Legler, you mean the Leglers with Legler Area in Diesbach, Bettschwanden? Few minutes away from our Digital Chalet Schwanden, the factory halls where we have been eyeing on for some really cool projects like Data Center Light and more? The entrepreneur who is still an inspiration for us, that Legler?

Bemused, our friendly passenger, who was born not far from the factories and grew up in the nearby village, shared that the Legler is a big name in the industrious region of Bergamo. She had families and relatives working in the Legler factories. She even had a factory tour as a part of school trip when she was a child. She still remembers the intense smell from the high-ceilinged workrooms and the very vivid blue colour of jeans smeared on the floor, jeans the Legler factories produced for the entire Europe.

img source: areacoworking

Another data center located in old factory halls

An Italian company named Aruba took over the former 200.000 square metre factory halls a few years ago. Now, the story gets even more interesting. Aruba decided to establish …guess what? A data center in the Legler area. A datacenter. 

The estate is located in a Region safe from earthquakes and flooding, and thanks to its enormous size, the building is ideal for server storage. Aruba also works with an innovative cooling system by using the cold groundwater. Moreover, the IT company is relying 100% on renewable energy such as solar cells, which are attached to the building.

 

<"The Swiss School" founded by the Leglers in Bergamo>

img source : scuolasvizzerabergamo

Who are the Leglers originally?

After this surreal encounter on the train with a friendly local, we couldn’t help but digging up the life of Mathias Legler, the eponym of the Legler estate.

The man from Diesbach (Canton of Glarus, Switzerland) was employed in the range of weaving and started his own mechanic weaving business in 1856. Shortly after, he moved into a bigger construction, the Legler spinning mill. The Leglers were pioneers of their time and made some pretty brave moves when they made their steps towards the new thing called electricity. This is how the dam power station and the electric trunk line from the waterfall to the building came into life.

The Legler family goes to Italy

In the years of 1870, the forward-thinking Legler family dared the step to go abroad and built a further spinning and weaving mill in Bergamo.

<Bergamo>

During the time of the Second World War, the production grew and their textile fabrication became one of the greatest in Europe. With the global industry changes the company was sold in 1989, but the textile production in Diesbach still remained until 2001.

What is going to happen with the Legler factory in Diesbach?

The site of the Legler area in Diesbach belongs to the company HIAG, if you have followed our blog closely you have probably read some of our interviews with them. Even after the end of the textile production the area never stopped inspiring the locals and the newcomers for creativity. One of the most creative project of course being Data Center Light! Let’s wait and see how the heritage of these impressive industrial sites continues. 

You want to get to know us better and get more information about our Data Center Light? Visit our website www.datacenterlight.ch or write us an email!