The black-and-yellow Solus Tower that is a landmark in Bray, Co Wicklow, has been refurbished by its owner, Cellnex Ireland, at a cost of €300,000.
The water tower at the site of the old Solus lightbulb factory looms over the northern side of Bray, close to the Wicklow/Dublin border, and is a familiar sight to traffic entering the town on that side from the M11 motorway.
The Solus lightbulb factory relocated long ago, but the tower remains. Spanish-backed Cellnex, which owns a network of mobile phone masts, acquired the Solus Tower in 2018, and has now had it repainted. Telecoms masts attached to it are to be placed more discreetly, it said.
“Sometimes buildings that are initially industrial become part of the landscape. Over time they grow to be associated with a certain place, and develop into a distinguishing feature of that area. We think it looks great,” said Cellnex Ireland site management director Mark Shine of the tower’s revamp.
Cellnex Ireland has its roots in a 2015 deal by French private equity-backed Cignal to buy a network of telecoms masts from Coillte. Cignal, which expanded further, was then bought by Spanish company Cellnex in 2019.
