UK Power Networks has refurbished the Finsbury Market substation in central London, investing £483,000 in the site near Liverpool Street. The work covered a pair of transformers, which were improved and repainted rather than replaced.
The company said the spending, close to half a million pounds, was intended to give existing equipment a new working life. In its account, overhauling and maintaining the two transformers will help strengthen the local electricity network and improve reliability for the businesses and residents that depend on the supply, both now and in future years.
Equipment work paired with a painted exterior
The upgrade inside the compound ran alongside a change to its boundary. The red-brick perimeter wall was used as a canvas by Global Street Art, which the utility describes as a producer of hand-painted advertising and public art murals, with street artist Nelio Riga creating a new piece there. UK Power Networks said the mural was delivered with Broadgate Quarter.
Chanelle Mistry, project manager at UK Power Networks, said the investment gave vital infrastructure a new lease of life, and that refurbishing and maintaining the transformers would help strengthen the local network and improve reliability for the many businesses and residents relying on it. She added that the company was pleased to see the outside of the site transformed by the artwork while the equipment work continued.
Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder of Global Street Art, said it had been a pleasure to work with UK Power Networks and Broadgate Quarter on a site he described as important and prominent, and that the project supported the organisation's long-running aim of bringing painted walls to city streets. He thanked those involved for their commitment, noting that he and many others regularly walk past the walls.