Here is a comprehensive overview of aql’s use of Salem Chapel in Leeds as a data centre, tracing the building’s history, architectural significance, conversion, and role in digital infrastructure and urban regeneration.
1. Historical Origins of Salem Chapel
Salem Chapel on Hunslet Lane in Leeds is a Grade II listed former Congregational chapel, built in 1791 by Reverend Edward Parsons. It is the oldest surviving nonconformist chapel in Leeds city centre and was extended in 1906 with the addition of a distinctive curved façade.
For over two centuries, Salem played an integral role in religious and civic life. It is also remembered as the founding venue of Leeds United Football Club: in 1919 a public meeting held in the Chapel marked the disbanding of Leeds City F.C. and the birth of Leeds United.
By the late twentieth century, congregational decline led to its closure in 2001, with Reverend Harry Guntrip—psychologist and writer—delivering its final sermon. After services ceased, the chapel sat unused for several years.
2. Acquisition and Restoration by aql
In 2009, Professor Adam Beaumont, founder of telecommunications company aql, purchased the building. Recognising both its heritage value and its strategic location adjacent to Leeds’ digital fibre infrastructure, he embarked on a sensitive restoration to repurpose the chapel for digital and community use.
aql’s renovation preserved key architectural features while converting the space into a modern data centre and tech hub. The hall was transformed into data centre DC3, while upper levels became offices, exhibition space, and a 350-seat glass-floored auditorium overlooking the data hall below.
The restoration was also designed to honour the memories of the congregation: former churchgoers were welcomed back in tours and public events, often moved by the re-use of spaces like the former church hall and gallery, which still resonate with personal and collective history.
3. Architectural and Heritage Significance
As a Grade II listed structure dating from 1791, Salem Chapel holds major historical and architectural significance. Its classical lines, distinctive curved entrance, and long tradition of social and civic engagement make it a landmark in Leeds’s cultural landscape.
The restoration balanced heritage conservation with technical adaptation. Original features—including the façade, gallery structure, and chapel proportions—were preserved, while the interior was reconfigured for modern use without losing its identity. The result is a striking blend of neo-classical heritage and high-tech infrastructure.
4. Data Centre Infrastructure at Salem Chapel
Inside the restored Salem Chapel, aql operates two separate carrier-neutral data centres—DC2 and DC3—within a footprint of approximately 1,451 m² (15,618 sq ft). These facilities meet Tier 3+ standards, offering high reliability, redundant systems, and robust security—all within the historic chapel envelope.
In addition to colocation services, the Chapel houses IXLeeds, the UK’s only fully independent internet exchange point outside London. Founded in 2008 by Adam Beaumont and other regional ISPs, IXLeeds is hosted in the Chapel and serves as a critical interconnection hub for digital traffic across operators and content providers in Yorkshire and beyond.
5. Academic and Industry Engagement
aql uses Salem Chapel as both a working data centre and an educational platform. University of Leeds students have toured the data engineering facilities and attended seminars in the auditorium, with aql supporting academic projects through access, mentorship, and even a donated server rack within DC3.
The Chapel also hosts industry events and conferences. Notably, it hosted the EuroIX Forum in 2014—a meeting of Europe’s internet exchange operators—attended by over 120 professionals, with participants using the Chapel event space and glass-floored conference hall that overlooks the data hall below.
6. Public and Civic Role
Beyond its technical role, Salem Chapel plays host to civic functions and public talks. It has been the venue for official launches, including initiatives under the Northern Powerhouse strategy, as well as forums with speakers such as former Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor George Osborne, and astronaut Helen Sharman.
Since 2015, events like FinTech North, Northern Power Women, and Leeds Digital Festival have been held there, making the Chapel a focal point for digital and economic policy in the region.
7. Technological Impact on Leeds’s Digital Ecosystem
aql’s repurposing of Salem Chapel marked a turning point in Leeds’s digital infrastructure. By positioning a high-grade, carrier-neutral data centre within the city’s historic fabric and hosting IXLeeds, aql enabled Leeds to become digitally independent of London, reducing latency, improving resilience, and supporting local businesses across sectors.
This in turn encouraged investment from major telecom operators and cloud providers, and positioned the city as a second-tier digital hub—important for governance, commerce, and regional economic development.
8. Integration of Heritage, Sustainability, and Digital Growth
A key feature of aql’s model is sustainability: they planned the next facility (DC4) with systems to reuse waste heat to warm nearby buildings, aligning with Leeds City Council’s district heating ambitions. This illustrates how a digital infrastructure can integrate into urban planning and sustainability objectives.
Thus, Salem Chapel provides a model for how historic buildings can be revitalised through adaptive re-use, combining conservation, technology, public access, and environmental responsibility.
9. Community and Legacy
Former congregants have publicly praised aql’s stewardship, noting that the building remains recognisably the Salem of their memories, with much of its original atmosphere intact despite its modern function.
Leeds Civic Trust awarded a blue plaque in 2011 to mark the Chapel’s architectural and cultural importance. The Trust commended aql’s respectful adaptation of heritage architecture, stating that sympathetic reuse is “the best way to ensure [a historic building] has a bright future”.
10. Summary and Reflection
Salem Chapel in Leeds illustrates a remarkable convergence of heritage, technology, and urban transformation:
- Historical significance: built in 1791 as Leeds’s oldest nonconformist chapel; venue of Leeds United’s founding meeting.
- Adaptive reuse: converted from derelict chapel club into a modern data centre and event venue by aql in 2009.
- Digital infrastructure hub: hosts two major carrier-neutral data centres (DC2 and DC3) and IXLeeds—the UK’s only independent internet exchange outside London.
- Educational and civic role: supports University of Leeds students, hosts conferences, and serves as venue for civic and policy events.
- Urban integration: interpreted as a key component of Leeds’s South Bank regeneration, digital strategy, and sustainable development plans.
- Community-oriented stewardship: retains architectural character, honours former congregants, and preserves the Chapel’s legacy through public access and preservation.
Salem Chapel now stands as a pioneering example of how historic architecture can be reimagined for digital age utility without compromising identity. It is both a monument to Leeds’s past and a hub for its future.
