K6 Telephone Kiosk, Adjacent To Garden Railings

This is a K6 telephone kiosk, dating from 1935, located at the southeastern corner of Bloomsbury Square Gardens. It is made of cast iron, painted red with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides, and features applied crowns on the top panels, rather than perforated ones. Rectangular white display signs read “TELEPHONE” beneath the shallow-curved roof. The interior contains modernised equipment.

The K6 kiosk was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott for the General Post Office to commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee. It builds on his earlier, highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, which had Neo-classical inspiration. The K6 is more streamlined, compact, and cost-effective to mass produce. Giles Gilbert Scott was a significant British architect, responsible for notable commissions including Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. The K2 and K6 kiosks represent a thoughtful blend of architectural tradition and contemporary technology. Over 70,000 K6s were produced; many were replaced in the 1960s, but they remain an iconic feature of British streetscapes.

The kiosk is designated at Grade II for its special design interest as a landmark of industrial design and for its group value, being closely related to several other listed buildings in the vicinity, including Victoria House, Nos. 43, 44 and 46 Bloomsbury Square, Nos. 1-29 Sicilian Avenue, Avenue Chambers, and lamp posts on Sicilian Avenue.