Building record 830/0/27 - K6 Telephone Kiosk, High Street

{1} Telephone kiosk of K6 type, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and made by various contractors. Cast iron.

EXTERIOR: Painted red. There are relief crowns in the segmental upper sections on each side, above glazed panels bearing the word 'TELEPHONE'. The door and two sides are glazed, each having eight horizontal panes with narrow margin lights. Some of the central panes are missing.

HISTORY: The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 for the General Post Office, on the occasion of King George V's Silver Jubilee. The K6 was a development from his earlier highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, of Neo-classical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost-effective to mass produce. Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important of modern British architects; his many celebrated commissions include the Anglican cathedral of Liverpool and Battersea power station. The K2 and K6 telephone kiosks can be said to represent a very thoughtful adaptation of architectural tradition to contemporary technological requirements. Well over 10,000 K6s were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with a new kiosk type. But many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION:
The K6 telephone kiosk in Bugbrooke is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* It is an iconic example of industrial design, showing Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's adaptation of Neoclassical forms for a modern technological function
* It has group value with five Grade II listed buildings: The Grange at 38 High Street, 2 Ace Lane, the Bakers Arms Public House, 37-43 High Street, and 47 High Street.

<1> English Heritage, 2000, Listed Buildings Online, 1735/0/10012 (checked) (Database). SNN105526.

Record last edited

Apr 28 2010 10:35AM