K6 Telephone Kiosk, Oban South and the Isles, Argyll and Bute

Entry Name: K6 Telephone Kiosk

Listing Name: Near Pier at Carsaig, Isle of Mull, K6 Telephone Kiosk

Listing Date: 18 April 2007

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 399422

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB50858

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200399422

Location: Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon

County: Argyll and Bute

Electoral Ward: Oban South and the Isles

Parish: Kilfinichen And Kilvickeon

Traditional County: Argyllshire

Tagged with: K6 telephone box

Description

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1935; produced 1936-1968. Standard K6 telephone kiosk comprising 3 sides of lying-pane glazing (8 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 a saucer dome. Cast-iron, painted Post Office red. Situated next to waterfall on road leading to Carsaig Pier.

Statement of Interest

This telephone kiosk is picturesquely situated on the remote road to Carsaig Pier on the South coast of the Isle of Mull and stands immediately beside a waterfall. The kiosk featured in the 1945 Powell and Pressburger film 1945, "I Know Where I'm Going" which was filmed in the area. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were British film directors of international renown and this is considered by some film critics as one of their best films. A Michael Powell award was created at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 1993 for creativity in British Film.

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."). It stands 8 feet 3 inches tall. 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 sideways 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).

External Links

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