UK Power Networks has refurbished the Finsbury Market substation in central London through a £483,000 investment. The electrical infrastructure near Liverpool Street includes two existing transformers, which were improved as part of the project, and the equipment was also repainted.
The company said the upgrade is intended to improve reliability and strengthen power supplies for the busy surrounding area in the years ahead. The work focused on refurbishing and maintaining the two existing transformers, with repainting included in the upgrade.
The scope described by UK Power Networks centres on extending the service life of equipment already installed at the site, with the repainting forming part of the same package of works. The infrastructure work and the street-art project took place in tandem.
The project also changed the appearance of the site. The perimeter of the compound became a canvas for street art, with Global Street Art and street artist Nelio Riga creating a new mural on the red-brick wall. Global Street Art describes itself as Europe’s leading producer of hand-painted advertising and public art murals.
The project therefore combined an equipment refurbishment with an exterior improvement at the same location. UK Power Networks presented the investment as a way to extend the working life of existing assets while also improving the site’s appearance.
Chanelle Mistry, project manager at UK Power Networks, said the investment was giving vital infrastructure a new lease of life. According to Mistry, refurbishing and maintaining the two transformers would help strengthen the local electricity network and improve reliability for the businesses and residents that depend on it every day and in the future. She added that while the equipment work took place behind the scenes, the artwork had transformed the outside of the site and would help brighten the local area.
Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder of Global Street Art, said the organisation was pleased to work with UK Power Networks and Broadgate Quarter on what he described as an important and prominent site. He said the project supported Global Street Art’s mission to “live in painted cities” and thanked UK Power Networks and others involved for their commitment. Bofkin noted that he frequently walks past the walls, as many people do, and that the project had been well received.
The substation is located in a busy part of central London, where reliable electricity supplies are important for local businesses and residents. UK Power Networks said the investment would give the existing equipment a new lease of life and help support the area’s power network for years to come.