Pair Of K6 Telephone Kiosks Adjacent To Boundary Railings And Gates

798-1/0/10395 RUSSELL SQUARE 01-FEB-11 Bloomsbury (Southeast side) Pair of K6 telephone kiosks adjacent t o boundary railings and gates

II Pair of K6 telephone kiosks. Materials: cast iron and glass (except where later modified).

DESCRIPTION: The K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in door and sides, with the crowns situated on the top panels being applied not perforated. These K6 telephone kiosk both have the rectangular white display signs, reading TELEPHONE beneath the shallow-curved roof. They have modernised equipment internally.

This pair of K6 telephone kiosks are situated at the south east corner of Russell Square, just outside the Russell Square Gardens (on the Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II). Listed buildings nearby include the Duke of Bedford statue, along the southern side of Russell Square Gardens, and Nos. 52-60, on the south side of Russell Square.

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: The pair of K6 telephone kiosks adjacent to boundary railings and gates on Russell Square (south east corner) are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Special design interest: designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, the K6 is a major landmark of industrial design. * Group value: located in a special setting - the important Georgian urban ensemble of Russell Square - and near to the square's listed structures, buildings and other K6 telephone kiosks.