Description

SOUTHINGTON LANE
K6 Telephone Kiosk approximately 13m south east of No.16

18-MAR-09

II
K6 telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and made by various contractors.

MATERIALS: cast iron and glass. Some polycarbonate window replacement.

PLAN: square in plan.

EXTERIOR: the K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in 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. In a survey by British Telecom in 2008, this telephone kiosk was found to be in relatively good condition; some of the windows have had the glass replaced with polycarbonate.

INTERIOR: the interior contains modern telecommunications equipment.

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 DESIGNATION
This K6 telephone kiosk in Southington 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 is a good example of the type, possessing group value with the listed Tithe Cottage (Grade II) and Nos 12 and 14 Southington (Grade II).

Reasons for Listing

This K6 telephone kiosk in Southington 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 is a good example of the type, possessing group value with the listed Tithe Cottage (Grade II) and Nos 12 and 14 Southington (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672133

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)