Summary

A K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

Description

A K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

MATERIALS AND PLAN
The kiosk is constructed largely of cast iron and glass, and is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION
The K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides. There are crowns in the top panels; these are applied rather than perforated. There are rectangular white display signs beneath the shallow domed roof which read TELEPHONE.

The K6 kiosk in Church Knowle has modernised internal equipment but is otherwise structurally intact, although its red paint is flaking in places and its display signs are faded. It stands near to a number of listed buildings: the Reading Room (Grade II) is immediately adjacent to the W and the Old Cottage (Grade II) is opposite to the SE. The Post Office (Grade II) is approximately 30m to the SW, and there is a further pair of Grade II cottages listed as Nos 11 and 12 Including Church Knowle stores to the SE. The telephone kiosk has a good visual relationship with these listed buildings collectively.

History

The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 British 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. It was a development from his earlier, highly successful, K2 kiosk of 1924. 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 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 remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

Reasons for Listing

The K6 telephone kiosk adjacent to the Reading Room in Church Knowle is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Design interest: the K6 is an iconic example of C20 British design, with intrinsic value;
* Degree of survival: the kiosk survives relatively intact;
* Relationship with listed buildings: the kiosk has a strong visual relationship with a number of listed buildings, all of which stand within the Church Knowle Conservation Area.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478716

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)