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K6 Telephone Kiosks, Chalmer's Close, High Street, Edinburgh

A Category B Listed Building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9505 / 55°57'1"N

Longitude: -3.1856 / 3°11'8"W

OS Eastings: 326058

OS Northings: 673687

OS Grid: NT260736

Mapcode National: GBR 8QG.6D

Mapcode Global: WH6SM.1P9M

Plus Code: 9C7RXR27+6Q

Entry Name: K6 Telephone Kiosks, Chalmer's Close, High Street, Edinburgh

Listing Name: High Street, Chalmer's Close, K6 Telephone Kiosks

Listing Date: 5 March 1991

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 371062

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30255

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Edinburgh, High Street, Chalmer's Close, K6 Telephone Kiosks

ID on this website: 200371062

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: City Centre

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Telephone booth

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Description

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1935; produced 1936-1968. Pair of standard K6 telephone kiosks comprising three sides of lying-pane glazing (eight high) with narrow margin lights (one glazed side with cup handle aligned with 4th/5th pane forming door) and a blind cast-iron panel to rear holding telephone and shelf. Rectangular glass opal with TELEPHONE in black lettering to each side with vent below and central embossed crown surmounting; rising into 4 segmental-headed pediments terminating in saucer dome. Cast-iron, painted Post Office red.

Statement of Interest

The K6 is also known as the Jubilee Kiosk, commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V. It was at this time the GPO set up a committee to redesign the telephone kiosk for mass production, with a Jubilee Concession Scheme providing one kiosk for each village with a Post Office. Scott was asked to design the new kiosk in March 1935, and after approval by the Royal Fine Art Commission, the K6 went into production in 1936. The new K6 was constructed from cast-iron and painted Post Office red (in 1924 the same commission had decided on the colour red for the kiosk, as it was "easy to spot and gave an authoritative and official character."). The kiosks stand 8 feet 3 inches tall and weigh 13 hundredweight. The new box was based on Scott's 1924 K2 kiosk which had been classical in character with small pane glazing, a reeded Grecian surround and a Soanian dome (believed to have been inspired by that on Sir John Soane's tomb or the lantern above the mausoleum at the Dulwich Picture Gallery). Aware of new architectural trends, Scott applied a modernistic style to his older box. The Grecian fluting was removed but the Soanian dome remained, as did the curved corners (which added strength to the cast-iron panels, now designed to be bolted together and erected in a day). The most noticeable change was the glazing; the horizontal bars were moved side ways to create a broad central light with narrow margin lights. This was to improve visibility and resemble 'moderne' architecture. The design of the box was so popular, it remained in production until 1968 when it was superseded by the K8 by Bruce Martin (the K7, by Neville Conder, was never widely used). Listed as a good pair of K6 telephone kiosks in an urban location, contributing to the streetscape.

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