K6 telephone kiosk at the junction of North Audley Street and Green Street, City of Westminster, London

Entry Name: K6 telephone kiosk at the junction of North Audley Street and Green Street

Listing Date: 23 June 2017

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1447426

ID on this website: 101447426

Location: Mayfair, Westminster, London, W1K

County: London

District: City of Westminster

Electoral Ward/Division: West End

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: City of Westminster

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Tagged with: Telephone booth

Summary

K6 telephone kiosk.

Description

The K6 telephone kiosk is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides and with the crowns situated on the top panels being applied not perforated. There are rectangular white display signs, reading 'TELEPHONE' beneath the shallow-curved roof. It has modernised internal equipment* and retains it glass windows.

The kiosk stands in a prominent corner position on the west side of North Audley Street at the junction with Green Street.

* Pursuant to s1(5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that this aforementioned feature is not of special architectural or historic interest.

History

The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Sir 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. Sir 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 70,000 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 Listing

The K6 telephone kiosk on North Audley Street at the junction with Green Street, LB Westminster is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* As an iconic example of industrial design, showing Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's adaptation of Neo-classical forms for a modern technological function.

Group value:

* For its strong visual relationship with multiple listed buildings in close proximity, two of which are at a high grade.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.