Famous clock tower returns to Prague’s Florenc
A replica of a famous clock tower that used to stand outside Prague’s Florenc metro station for nearly four decades has returned to its former location. The original steel structure from the mid-1980s had degraded beyond repair due to extensive corrosion and had to be removed in 2020.
The clock tower, called Radio Clock, designed by academic sculptor Rudolf Svoboda in 1985, shows the time in a number of ways, including a world time board indicating time in ten world capitals, says art curator Agáta Hošnová from the Prague City Gallery:
“It’s a 12-meters-long vertical sculpture that carries a round clock of very simple design. The clock is embedded in one of the two vertical towers that are kind of reaching towards the sky.
“What I think is the most interesting element of the sculpture is situated in its lower part. It’s an old analogue flip clock that shows different real times from around the world.”
The striking piece, which can even function as a giant sundial, stands on the border of design and fine arts and was designed as an integral part of the Florenc metro station, says Ms. Hošnová:
“What I think is quite interesting is that the Florence metro station was designed in a holistic way, as “a total work of art”, which is known in art history as gesamtkunstwerk. It means that it considered thoroughly all the elements of the station.
“So the architects, designers and the planning team weren’t only focusing on the station itself. They also included a budget for artworks in the public space. So what makes this piece unique is that it was always considered to be part of the wider area of Florenc.”
Rudolf Svoboda, who was born in 1934, was a graduate of Prague’s School of Fine Arts and his style spans from figurative pieces to abstract and futuristic sculptures influenced by advances in technology, using a wide variety of materials.
Among other works of art created by Svoboda that can be seen in the capital is another flip clock system located on the Mihulka tower at Prague Castle. Another of his well-known pieces is ‘The Return from Cosmos’ from 1979, says Ms. Hošková:
“It was initially installed in front of the Central Telecommunication building in Prague but it had been thought lost for 17 years, until it was found in Plzeň in 2015 in a pile of rubbish. So it was kind of a lucky accident. This particular piece is supposed to be placed again in its location in Žižkov, but it still hasn’t been confirmed. So it still has an uncertain future.”
The meticulous replica of the Clock Tower, which was initiated by Prague City Hall, was unveiled at Florenc at the end of last year. It is fully functional and unlike the original, it can be remotely controlled and maintained. Its return is just part of a complex transformation of the area, which will include placing a new light installation in the renovated metro lobby in 2026.
