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Summary

Description

A set of three K6 telephone Kiosks, located in a lane to the west of the former artillery block at Fort George. The K6 was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the coronation of King George V in 1935.

The K6 kiosk is constructed of cast-iron sections, bolted together on a concrete base. In form the kiosks are four sided rectangular boxes with a domed roof. Three sides of the kiosks are glazed with eight rows of three panes of glass, a wide central pane and two outer, narrow panes. The back panel has a blank, moulded panel conforming to the dimensions of the windows and cable holes on either side of the foundry plate at the foot of the kiosks. Above the main body of the kiosks are plain entablature, set back from the front of the kiosks. The entablature carries a rectangular slot for signage, with trim moulding. Set into the slot is an illuminated telephone sign. There are ventilation slots below the signage slot. The roofs of the kiosks are domed, formed by segmental pediments, with a convex moulded edge. The pediments carry a moulded Royal Crown.

Statement of Special Interest

The K6 kiosk was commissioned by the General Post Office (GPO) in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The GPO ask Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to design a kiosk that could be rolled out across the country with ease as previous versions (the K2 and K3) had attractive designs but proved difficult to mass produce. The K6 was launched in 1936 and 8,000 kiosks were installed as part of the 'Jubilee Concession'. A year later was the 'Tercentenary Concession' marking the 300th year anniversary of the Post Office, through which a further 1,000 kiosks were installed over a period of 12 years with local authorities paying a subscription of £4. By 1960 there were 60,000 examples across the United Kingdom, however, after this the GPO looked to modernise and began looking at replacement styles.

The architect who designed the K6 telephone boxes was London born Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880–1960). Scott came from a family of architects, with his father, grandfather, uncle and brothers all within the same profession. He was noted for his blending of traditional and modernist architectural styles. He was responsible for designing many important buildings including Battersea Power Station, Bankside Power Station (now the Tate modern) and the new Waterloo Bridge.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2019. Previously listed as 'FORT GEORGE, 3 K6 TELEHONE KIOSKS'.

References

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