UK Power Networks has refurbished the Finsbury Market substation in central London, investing £483,000 to give existing equipment a new lease of life. The site near Liverpool Street contains two transformers that were improved as part of the work, which the electricity firm says will strengthen local power supplies and improve reliability for businesses and residents.
The upgrade focused on refurbishing and maintaining the two transformers rather than replacing them. UK Power Networks said the investment would help the busy area’s electricity network perform reliably for years to come. The company also applied fresh paint to the equipment.
The work inside the compound took place alongside a separate visual change outside. The perimeter wall became a canvas for Global Street Art, which describes itself as Europe’s leading producer of hand-painted advertising and public art murals. Street artist Nelio Riga used the red-brick wall as the backdrop for a new artwork.
Chanelle Mistry, UK Power Networks project manager, said the investment was giving vital infrastructure a new lease of life. Refurbishing and maintaining the transformers would help strengthen the local electricity network and improve reliability for the many businesses and residents that depend on it, she said, while the artwork would help brighten the local area.
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 such an important and prominent site. He said the project supported the organisation’s wider mission to bring painted art into cities, thanked those involved and added that the artwork had been well received by people who walk past the walls.