K6 Telephone Kiosk, St Andrew's Street

Summary

K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, probably relocated to its current position around 1985.

Reasons for Designation

The K6 telephone kiosk on St Andrew’s Street, Cambridge is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* as an iconic example of industrial design, showing Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s adaptation of neoclassical forms for a modern technological function.

Historic interest:
* the K6 telephone kiosk was designed to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935 by the eminent architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, further developing his successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924.
Group value:
* for its contribution to the streetscape and its strong visual and contextual relationship with the Grade I-listed Emmanuel College, the Grade II* registered designed landscape of the college, and Grade II boundary wall of the college, against which the kiosk stands.

History

The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Sir 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 neoclassical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost-effective to mass produce.

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important modern British architects; his many celebrated commissions include the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool (Grade I) and Battersea Power Station (Grade II*). 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 remaining examples of the K6 continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

The telephone kiosk on St Andrew’s Street was probably relocated to its current position from the south-west corner of Parker’s Piece (around 145m to the south-east) around 1985 when the telephone kiosk there was replaced by a KX100 model kiosk. The telephone kiosk on St Andrew’s Street is not recorded on the 1966 Ordnance Survey 1:1,250 scale map but is later recorded on a Google Earth satellite view of 1999. It stands opposite the former Regal Cinema, built in 1937 (not listed), later adapted as a public house and cinema.

Details

K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, probably relocated to its current position around 1985.

MATERIALS: cast-iron frame and timber door.

PLAN: square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: the K6 is a standardised design made of cast-iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides. There are rectangular white display signs reading ‘TELEPHONE’ and applied crowns beneath the shallow-curved roof. The south side of the kiosk retains a hardwood door, and the door handle has been replaced. The telephone equipment was removed in the early C21. The telephone kiosk stands on the east side of St Andrew’s Street immediately outside the boundary wall (NHLE 1125525, listed at Grade II) of Emmanuel College (NHLE 1332193, listed at Grade I) and around 15m north-west of Belmont (NHLE 1331891, listed at Grade II).

Sources

Other
Ordnance Survey 1:1,250 map (1966)
Google Earth satellite image (1999)

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