#telephone exchange — Modernist Delights

Burnley Telephone Exchange, 2025

A three-storey building with brown brick and white tiled walls, tall windows, a metal staircase on the right, and aerials on the roof. The front is blocked by a high concrete and metal fence topped with barbed wire under a cloudy sky.

A three-storey building with brown brick and white trim, many large windows, some open or partially covered. The ground floor has graffiti on panels and several parked cars are visible in front. The sky is overcast.

Exeter Switching Centre seen from Exeter Central railway station, 2021

A railway station platform with a metal footbridge overhead, a large concrete building in the background, and a white sign displaying the number 15 near the tracks. The station appears empty and the sky is overcast.

Photomator randomly opened to this photo I never posted, so I guess it’s fate.

Bradford Telephone Exchange, 2024

A tall, white, modernist building with large, wavy rows of windows stands beside a street under a cloudy sky. A white wall and metal fence border the building, and a smaller brick building adjoins it on the right.

A tall, gray, modern building facade features a central cylindrical stairwell with vertically ribbed concrete and zigzagging tinted windows, flanked by flat walls with rectangular windows and louvered vents, all under a cloudy sky.

A tall, white, rectangular building with many small, square windows and a rounded corner stands on a street corner. The sky is cloudy, and a few cars are parked nearby. The building appears old and weathered, with some stains on its exterior.

Staircase in Stourbridge, 2024

A concrete staircase with metal railings is attached to the side of a brick building. The staircase leads to the upper floor. A metal fence with pointed tops is in the foreground. The sky is clear and blue with a few clouds. Cars are parked to the left.

A tasty staircase beside the telephone exchange in Stourbridge, which we were cruelly stopped from enjoying fully by BT’s big sharp metal fence 😔

Killingworth Telephone Exchange, 2024

A modern, elevated building with gray concrete and glass walls sits on thick pillars. A spiral staircase leads to a door on the side. People stand nearby on a grassy area, with a black metal fence and shrubs in the foreground. Red brick houses are visible in the background.

A modern, gray concrete and brick building with tall windows sits above a sloped support wall. A person in a brown jacket and jeans walks on the green grass under a cloudy sky. Some bushes grow near the buildings base; a parking lot is visible in the distance.

A close-up of a gray building exterior featuring pale brickwork, a central tall window, two smaller vents, textured dark panels, and a slanted concrete support wall at the base with a small vent, photographed from ground level looking up.

A modern building corner with gray rectangular tiles and dark textured trim. The window is large and trapezoidal, set at an angle with a wooden frame, reflecting blue sky. Green moss grows on the lower edge; leafy branches are visible to the left.

A spiral metal staircase leads to a door on the upper floor of a modern, gray brick building. The door opens directly onto the stairs, with no landing. Bushes and a black metal fence are in front of the building, and the sky is overcast.

Let’s go to the North East! Over the next few days I’ll post the highlights of my trip to Killingworth and Newcastle with The Modernist.

First up, the Killingworth Telephone Exchange. The tiny type at the side and the circular concrete staircase (another favourite of mine) are particular highlights!