Everything you always wanted to know about phone boxes but were afraid to ask!
Have you always been curious to learn more about the fascinating story behind London’s iconic telephone boxes? Wondered which colour Sir Giles Gilbert Scott had in mind for his original K2 design? If you share our passion for history and architecture, this tour – The K2 to K6 Telephone Box Walk – might just be the right event for you then!
Broad Court – one of London’s most popular telephone box photo opportunities!
From humble beginnings to international fame, red telephone boxes have come a long way from their original purpose. Once a symbol of modernity and utilitarian design, these figures of London life have in the past decades been ‘rebranded’ and repurposed into satellite libraries, cash machines and even shower cubicles. not only tracing the story behind their iconic design, this walk will also juxtapose still functioning telephone boxes with the buildings and monuments they are now facing and illustrate how they are part of a larger architectural dialogue.
How does Sir John Soane’s mausoleum at St. Pancras Old Church fit into the story?
Originally conceived as a collaboration with ICR, this walk was launched during the London Festival of Architecture 2014 and we guarantee that by the end of the tour you will know how to tell K2s and K6s apart. Photo opportunities are not only welcome but also encouraged. For a little taster of the tour, check out what some of the visitors thought of the walk:
- .http://jenesaisquoiii.tumblr.com/post/90463378235/when-i-went-on-my-architectural-festival-citywide
You can also read a bit more about the genesis of this walk in my London Ramblings #5 post.
A little tour moment between two visitors and I. (Photograph courtesy of @MarDixon.)
This tour is open to tourists as well as seasoned Londoners who want to learn more about the history of London’s iconic telephone boxes. To check dates and buy tickets (£8), visit our EventBrite page: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-k2-to-k6-telephone-box-walk-tickets-13520276511. The meeting point for the tour is in the courtyard of Burlington House, home of the Royal Academy of Arts, which is a 5 minutes walk away from Piccadilly Circus Station or Green Park Station (see map below).
If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with me via my Contact Page or send us a message: yannick.pucci[at]gmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter (@ypldn) where I am are always up for a chat. This tour can also be booked as a private walk for groups and individuals.
In Search of Lost Time(s) 