Description

OXFORD

612/0/10196 QUEEN STREET
03-JUL-09 K2 Telephone Kiosk outside Carfax Tower

GV II
K2 kiosk, c1927, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Cast iron and painted red, the kiosk is neo-classical in inspiration with Soanian segmental vaulted roofs and multi-pane glazing reminiscent of a Georgian sash window, the latter with reeded strip surrounds and classical paterae. It has a perforated crown, the symbol of the GPO, set within the upper faces of the canopy and placed above a glazed panel bearing the word 'TELEPHONE'.

The K2 kiosk is located outside a C12 tower (qv), the only surviving part of the Church of St Martin, Carfax, which was demolished in 1896 for the purposes of road widening. The K2 kiosk, along with a red pillar box, is located where the church's nave once stood. The spot is labelled 'T.C.B.' (telephone call box) on the Ordnance Survey map of 1939, suggesting there was originally a kiosk here, but the current K2 is one of four placed in the locations around the city in 1994 following a bequest from Nicholas Medley.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The K2 telephone kiosk is listed for the following principal reasons:
* Giles Gilbert Scott's design has special interest for its artistry and functionality as well its iconic status as a milestone of C20 industrial design;
* There was originally a kiosk in this location and the K2 has group value with the C12 tower of the former church of St Martin, Carfax.

Reasons for Listing

The K2 telephone box outside Carfax Tower is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Giles Gilbert Scott's design has special interest for its artistry and functionality as well as its iconic status as a milestone of C20 industrial design;
* There was originally a kiosk in this location and the K2 has group value with the C12 tower of the former church of St Martin, Carfax.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672534

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)