Exercise 16: Exploring function

This exercise calls for the selection of any interior space, domestic or public to be considered from the point of view of its function.

For my interior space I chose the ubiquitous phone box. On a practical level this is obviously a small interior space, large enough for one or perhaps two people, providing some shelter from the elements and with panels that provide some sound insulation from external noises, typically traffic noises. A telephone is provided for communication, both personal and also to contact emergency services. This is a space that mostly sits empty, awaiting an occasional use that reduces in frequency as increasingly people tend towards having personal mobile phones.

In addition to the practical function of communication the phone box is also somewhat of a style icon, typically with the older red phone boxes that so often feature on tourist picture post cards and even things like the old Police Box that is the appearance of Dr Who's TARDIS. The phone box is also something which has been used in many (installation) art works.

My first phone box for this exercise was the classic red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. This one is no longer functional but is an 'attraction' at our steam railway and was photographed at a focal length of 17mm. The overgrowth at the top of the frame helps to show it is no longer in use:

From OCA People and Place Photos

I also looked at a modern telephone box. This is less decorative (ugly?) and introduces a secondary function of advertising. Here I shot from the inside to give the users point of view of the Jackie Chan film poster, something akin to looking at a giant slide transparency that has been loaded into the projector backwards:

From OCA People and Place Photos