K6 Telephone Kiosk, Adjacent to Boundary Railings and Gates

The K6 telephone kiosk stands at the northwest corner of Russell Square, adjacent to boundary railings and gates. This standardised kiosk was built in the 20th century, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to commemorate King George V’s Silver Jubilee. It is constructed of cast iron and glass, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides. The top panels feature applied, rather than perforated, crowns. Rectangular white display signs reading “TELEPHONE” are positioned beneath the shallow-curved roof. The internal equipment has been modernized. The design represents a streamlined and more cost-effective evolution of Scott's earlier, Neoclassical K2 telephone kiosk of 1924, and over 70,000 were produced before being largely replaced in the 1960s. Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was a significant British architect, responsible for notable works like Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. The kiosk is designated at Grade II for its special design interest as a milestone of industrial design and its group value, owing to its close visual relationship with several listed buildings on the opposite side of Russell Square, including a cabman's shelter, the Institute of Chemistry, and several residential properties.