Take A Tour Through Facebook's Gorgeous Data Centers

Facebook announced the Open Compute Project in 2011 as a way to openly share the designs for its data centers - "to spark a collaborative dialogue ... [and] collectively develop the most efficient computing infrastructure possible."

Starting in 2009, three Facebook employees dedicated themselves to custom-designing servers, server racks, power supplies, UPS units, and battery backup systems for the company's first data center in Prineville, Oregon.

By 2011, Facebook's data center in Prineville used 38% less energy to do the same work as the company's other data centers at the time, while costing 24% less.

Since then, Facebook has improved on its designs, and last summer, opened another data center in Lulea, Sweden.

With the help of Facebook and photographer Alan Brandt, we compiled some photos to show off what Facebook's data centers look like from the inside and outside. And these are some really gorgeous-looking facilities.