Leicester Square to house iconic Swiss Railway Clock

The Swiss Railways Clock, which was designed in 1944 by Hans Hilfiker, will take pride of place in London’s Leicester Square, an area that welcomes 100 million people every year.

Between 1985 and 2008 the Square housed the Swiss Centre with its glockenspiel clock that attracted visitors with its music, traditional bells and alpine scene. The glockenspiel was removed in 2008, with the agreement that it would return when the redevelopment of the Swiss Centre and surrounding areas was complete.

A public clock has been deemed an essential part of the new development and Swiss Tourism and developers McAleer & Rushe have worked together to develop a design for the new glockenspiel that incorporates the original bells and wooden figures, as well as a prominent Swiss Railways clock, which Swiss Railways SBB has granted permission to use. Northern Irish developer McAleer & Rushe redeveloped the former Swiss Centre into the stylish W Hotel and agreed to fund and erect the glockenspiel as part of the project.

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