Description

1900/0/10463 ALDWYCH
12-NOV-10 Pair of K6 telephone kiosks outside Bu
sh House

GV II
Two K6 telephone kiosks.

DESCRIPTION: 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. It has modernised internal equipment.

These two kiosks are located at the junction of Kingsway and the Aldwych. These two streets were laid out in 1905 and comprise a wide, tree-lined boulevard (Kingsway) terminating in a grand crescent (Aldwych) with an underground tunnel for electric trams beneath. This was the London County Council's first large urban improvement scheme in central London and cut through older street patterns and buildings. The kiosks are placed on the axis of Kingsway, one to each side of the Grade II-listed Bush House which closes the vista at the end of the street.

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: The two K6 telephone kiosks at the Aldwych are listed for the following principal reasons:
* the kiosks are have a strong visual relationship with Bush House, and are close to other listed buildings including the Waldorf Hotel, India House and the Aldwych and Strand theatres;
* they are located in a setting of particular interest, one of the grandest examples of Edwardian town planning in the capital;
* 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.

Reasons for Listing

The K6 telephone kiosks at the Aldwych are recommended for designation at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* the kiosks are have a strong visual relationship with Bush House, and are close to other listed buildings including the Waldorf Hotel, India House and the Aldwych and Strand theatres;
* they are located in a setting of particular interest, one of the grandest examples of Edwardian town planning in the capital;
* 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.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q27087423

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)