Pair Of K6 Telephone Kiosks By Jesus Lock Bridge

667/0/10182 CHESTERTON ROAD 08-NOV-10 Pair of K6 telephone kiosks by Jesus L ock Bridge

GV II Pair of 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. This pair of kiosks are in a fair state of repair (2009) commensurate with their age. There is a little discolouration to the display signage. Both kiosks retain all their glass panes.

The pair of kiosks are located immediately south of the junction of Chesterton Road with Carlyle Road, and to the south side of Chesterton Road. They fall within the Cambridge Central Conservation Area against a backdrop which includes the River Cam and Jesus Green. They are adjacent to the complex which includes Jesus Lock, Weir and footbridge (designated Grade II) which lies approximately 10m to the south, and directly opposite the Lock Keeper's Cottage (designated Grade II), which lies to the south-east on the opposite river bank, approximately 50m away. The pair of kiosks have a strong visual relationship with the nearby group of designated buildings and contribute to the character and appearance of the historic setting.

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 DECISION: The pair of K6 telephone kiosks by Jesus Lock, Chesterton Road, Cambridge are designated at Grade II for the following principal reason: * They have a strong visual relationship with a collective group of designated buildings, and therefore merit designation.