5 Reasons to Put A Clock On Your Building

As clockmakers, we’re obviously big fans of clocks. But it’s not just us. People stop to look at clocks. Clocks like London’s Elizabeth Tower (aka “Big Ben”) and Prague’s Astronomical Clock attract thousands of tourists each year. We’re not suggesting that adding a clock will launch your building into a tourist destination. But it could add a sense of importance, and help you stand out. Here are 5 great reasons to include a clock in your next building project:

A view of the new Aurora Highlands 110' high tower clock. Tower clock design (including dial and hands) by EV Studio, and built by Lumichron. — Aurora Highlands 110′ high tower clock. Tower clock design (including dial and hands) by EV Studio, and built by Lumichron.

1. A Clock Adds Character to your Building Project

People want to spend time in attractive places that have their own flair. Yet so many modern buildings look the same. Malvina Reynolds wrote a song about this sameness as she drove through Daly City in 1962. “Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky…”¹ Adding a clock tower to your development is a way to stand out from the rest. Clocks add a decorative element to developments that makes them memorable.

The Knight Foundation and Gallup teamed up to study what makes people feel connected to their communities. An attractive space was a consistent factor for people to feel a connection with an area.² Clocks contribute to a pleasant and comfortable aesthetic. One that attracts people to a neighborhood or development.

Distinctive real estate developments have a competitive advantage. People are drawn to places that have character. A strong aesthetic doesn’t just attract residents and businesses to a new development. It also helps a development stand the test of time. When people feel a connection to a place, they are much more likely to improve upon and care for it.³

2. A Clock Signifies Importance

Timekeeping devices are a dime a dozen these days, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 13th century, clocks mostly belonged to churches. The Roman Catholic Church had the money and the means to hire craftsmen and artisans. Clocks on churches got fancier and more ornate.⁴At the time, the Church was a powerful entity, and clocks took on significance by association.

A few centuries later, clocks became available to individuals. But only the wealthy could afford them. Even today, timepieces convey status and wealth. When you encounter someone wearing a Rolex, it’s not a stretch to assume they are wealthy, important, or both.

In 2012, London’s Westminster Clock Tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower. The renaming was in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign. What better way to convey the importance of a clock tower than to name it for a queen?

Adding a clock to your building or development is an easy way to elevate its status and make it feel important.

Aurora Highlands Tower Clock - A view of one of four 13' tall back-lit clock faces located at the top of the 110' tower. Clock design by EV Studio in Denver, and built by Lumichron Clock Company. — Aurora Highlands Tower Clock – A view of one of four 13′ tall back-lit clock faces located at the top of the 110′ tower. Clock design by EV Studio in Denver, and built by Lumichron Clock Company.

3. A Clock On Your Building Gives People Something to Engage With

As humans, we like to interact with things. A clock on a building gives us a unique way to engage with architecture. The clock moves, and tells us when we are.

Some clocks tell a story along with the time. The New Town Hall Clock Tower, in Munich, Germany Duke Wilhelm V’s 16th century wedding. The Astronomical Clock in Prague provides a bit of theater as the 12 apostles parade by.

But even a simple tower clock encourages us to engage. When we look at a tower clock, we participate in the act of telling time. The simple act of reading the time when you pass a clock can be meaningful. That meaning, that connection, can start to provide a sense of place.

4. A Tower Clock Provides a Sense of Place

The Aurora Highlands is a mixed-use development on the outskirts of Denver. The clock tower was the first thing to be built. It sits at the entrance to what will become a 3,150-acre community.⁵ The clock tower currently marks the entrance from one empty field to another. But it shows that there is a place here, and it’s a place worth knowing about.

The 110-foot clock tower is visible from E-470, and from planes arriving at the airport. As people pass by, they’ll see the clock and wonder what it’s part of. The clock tower will become a landmark that marks your arrival in Denver. It will be a milestone that says you’re 10-ish minutes from the airport. And for the future residents of The Aurora Highlands, the clock will come to signify coming home.

Artist rendering of the Aurora Highlands Tower Clock. Design by EV Studio, and built by Lumichron.

The entire clock tower was designed by architectural firm EV Studio in Denver. The clock itself was built by Lumichron. EV Studio produced the specs for the clock, including a custom design for the dial and hands. The tower clock features four 13’ tall back-lit clock faces, which are synchronized by GPS. The clocks automatically adjust for daylight-savings time. They also reset themselves if there is a power outage.

Four individual heavy-duty, high-torque clock motors move the hands on the clocks. The motor room is accessible by a ladder that goes straight-up the southeast leg of the tower. Luckily, our clocks require very little maintenance, so the 110-foot climb won’t need to be made often.

A view from inside one of the legs of the Aurora Highlands Tower Clock. — A view from inside one of the legs of the 110′ tall Aurora Highlands Tower Clock.

The Aurora Highlands clock tower is located on the west side of the development, right off E-470. Residents and guests will enter the community through the gate under the clock tower. This entrance creates a transition from outside to inside. The feeling of transition will strengthen the sense of place inside.⁶

Construction of the Aurora Highlands Tower Clock, featuring four 13' tall back-lit clock faces, fully automatic heavy-duty high-torque clock motors, synchronized by GPS. — Construction of the Aurora Highlands Tower Clock, featuring four 13′ tall back-lit clock faces, fully automatic heavy-duty high-torque clock motors, synchronized by GPS.

Completed Tower Clock at the entrance of the Aurora Highlands development. 110' high tower, visible from I470 and from the Denver International Airport. — Completed Tower Clock at the entrance of the Aurora Highlands development. 110′ high tower, visible from I470 and from the Denver International Airport.

5. A Clock Serves People

Tower clocks are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. Clocks provide people with valuable information. In our busy world, a clock lets you know whether you’re early or late—or right on time. When you pass a building with a clock, you know whether to speed up or slow down. If you’re running early, you can stop for that cup of coffee you’ve been craving.

Tower clocks used to be the only way for people to tell time. Now your cell phone serves as a rectangular pocket watch. You have a digital clock in your car. These digital clocks might tell you exactly what time it is. But an analog tower clock tells you—with just a glance—how much time you have left.

People appreciate it when you provide them with accurate information. A clock on your building can do that. And that appreciation could turn into feelings of goodwill for whatever’s inside.

A custom Lumichron tower clock could be just what you need to elevate your next building project. Connect with us to discuss your custom clock.

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On May 17, 2020 / LUMICHRON Time Blog