UK Power Networks has completed a £483,000 refurbishment of the Finsbury Market substation in central London, upgrading two transformers at the site near Liverpool Street.
The work was intended to extend the working life of existing equipment and reinforce electricity supplies in a busy part of the city. According to UK Power Networks, the refurbishment and maintenance of the transformers will help strengthen the local network and improve reliability for businesses and residents that rely on it.
Alongside the equipment upgrade, the perimeter of the compound has been treated as a canvas for street art. Global Street Art, which produces hand-painted advertising and public murals, worked with artist Nelio Riga on a piece covering the site’s red-brick wall. The exterior work took place in tandem with the substation upgrade, linking the infrastructure project with a public-facing mural.
Chanelle Mistry, a project manager at UK Power Networks, said the investment gave vital infrastructure a new lease of life. She added that the transformer work supports the local electricity network and that the artwork helps brighten the surrounding area.
Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder of Global Street Art, said the project with UK Power Networks and Broadgate Quarter was important because of the site’s prominence. He said it supported the organisation’s aim of creating painted cities and thanked those involved.