Summary
K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Description
The K6 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.
The kiosk stands prominently at the entrance to Shrub Hill Railway Station, listed Grade II. On Platform 1 of the station there is a K8, listed Grade II (NHLE ref 1393363).
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 70,000 K6s were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with far plainer kiosk types. But many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.
Reasons for Listing
The K6 Telephone Box at Shrub Hill Railway Station is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* the K6 kiosk is recognised as an iconic milestone of C20 design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Historic interest:
* on account of its public historic associations, including the commission of the K6 from a renowned architect, in celebration of King George V's Silver Jubilee.
Group value:
* the kiosk has a strong visual relationship with the listed Shrub Hill Railway Station, at whose entrance it stands, and with the K8, on the station platform.
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.
Recommended Books
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)