Colourful Boxes Near Old Street: More Info Needed

By · April 9, 2011 at 8:26 am · 14 Comments · Miscellaneous · Report an error ·

Bit of an information fail here…perhaps you can help redress our ignorance. We stumbled across this series of painted switch boxes in the area south of City Road. It looks like local kids have been brightening up the street furniture. BUT:

  • What is the official terminology for these boxes?
  • What’s this area called? St Luke’s? East Finsbury? It’s the triangle bounded by City Road, Goswell Road and Old Street.
  • Anyone got more information on this inspired bit of street decoration?
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  • Jonmundy

    not sure what the technical term for these boxes is, but there are a couple more decorated versions on Borough High Street. One appears to be sponsored by Resonance FM.

  • http://www.londonremembers.com LondonRemembers

    We know these boxes as Virgin cabinets, since it is Virgin we ring when the door is hanging open, or missing altogether. We’re told that the phone number to ring is given, usefully, inside every cabinet. All of yours look very well kept. Lovely designs, inspired by children’s art but probably designed and executed by professionals. One could almost be an entry for your hand-drawn maps of London.

  • JoeK76

    They’re called “roadside cabinets”.

  • http://twitter.com/boringwill Will Smith

    They’ve been done throughout this section of EC1 – I think it might have a connection to Toffee Park Youth Club but am not sure.

    I noticed a guy who appeared to be a pretty nifty painter painting one just opposite the Britannia pub on Ironmonger Row about 3 months ago. The area’s called St Luke’s, as far as I am aware.

  • BJD

    These were repainted by the New Deal for EC1 project which ends this year. This is one of the final things the project will do and the cabinets are due to be painted black again soon.

  • http://twitter.com/tiredoflondon tiredoflondon

    They’ve been doing it in Brisbane for years. Bet there’s an Australian behind it…

  • E.K.
  • E.K.
  • badgerboy

    Reminds me of the artwork adorning the bus shelters of my home town – antipodean, sure, but created by an erstwhile londoner http://www.webs4u.co.nz/bsa/index.html

  • http://profiles.google.com/singingcrayon singing crayon

    Its part of the http://www.loveec1.com/ campaign and indeed there is an Austrailian group http://www.urbansmartprojects.com behind it

  • Lala

    There’s one on Whitecross Street too :)

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoosiersands/ HoosierSands

    *These* are called “junction boxes”. Roadside cabinets can contain telco stuff but they can also be used for stuff like pumps.

  • http://www.chrisnanglefurniture.co.uk/ Adam Good

    Yeah, I’ve seen those, there’s a few more decorated versions on Borough High Street. And I think it is sponsored by Resonance FM. I’m a bit unsure of what the technical term for them are though? Don’t they use them for meter readings?

  • http://www.benchmemorials.co.uk/ MemorialBench

    They are Junction boxes, and they are used for maintenance purposes.

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