Summary
K6 telephone kiosk, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935.
Reasons for Designation
The K6 telephone kiosk to the south of the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, Pall Mall East is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: it is a representative example of its type and remains in good condition;
* Design: designed for mass production and a technological function, Gilbert Scott’s neoclassical form has achieved an iconic design status;
* Group value: it has a strong visual relationship with a number of highly-graded listed buildings and is located in an exceptional architectural setting, to which it contributes positively.
History
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. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important of modern British architects, responsible for such iconic buildings as the Battersea Power Station and Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. The K6 was an adaptation of Scott’s earlier highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, of neoclassical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost effective to mass produce. Over 70,000 K6s were eventually produced and many still remain, continuing to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.
Details
The K6 is a standardised design; it is made from cast iron painted red, is square in plan and is c.2.4m tall. The door and side panels are divided into eight horizontal glazed panels with vertical marginal glazing bars. There are rectangular signs above the glazing reading ‘TELEPHONE’, and cast iron crowns applied above, beneath the shallow Soanian domed roof.
End of official list entry
