UK Power Networks has refurbished the Finsbury Market substation in central London through an investment of just under half a million pounds, with two transformers at the site near Liverpool Street undergoing improvement work.
The company said the £483,000 programme was aimed at giving existing equipment a new lease of life, and that the work included repainting as well as attention to the transformers themselves. According to UK Power Networks, the upgrade is intended to improve reliability and strengthen power supplies for the busy surrounding area for years ahead.
Artwork on the compound wall
While the equipment work took place inside the compound, the red-brick wall around its perimeter was used as a canvas. Global Street Art, which describes itself as Europe's leading producer of hand-painted advertising and public art murals, worked on the site, and street artist Nelio Riga used the wall as the backdrop for a new project.
Chanelle Mistry, project manager at UK Power Networks, said the investment was giving vital infrastructure a new lease of life. By refurbishing and maintaining the two transformers, she said, the company is helping to strengthen the local electricity network and improve reliability for the businesses and residents who depend on it now and in the future. She added that the company was pleased to see the outside of the site transformed by the artwork, which is expected to 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 what he described as an important and prominent site, supporting the organisation's mission to "live in painted cities". He thanked those involved for their dedication to the project and noted that he, like many other people, frequently walks past the walls.