548:
483:
380:
217:
155:
90:
80:
191:
38:
183:, which sounded bells to call the surrounding community to work or to prayer. They were therefore placed in towers so the bells would be audible for a long distance. Clock towers were placed near the centres of towns and were often the tallest structures there. As clock towers became more common, the designers realized that a
543:
constructed in 2012, has the largest and highest clock face on a building in the world, with its Makkah Royal Clock Tower having an occupied height of 494.4 m (1,622 ft), and a tip height of 601 m (1,972 ft). The tower has four clock faces, two of which are 43 m (141 ft)
174:
Although clock towers are today mostly admired for their aesthetics, they once served an important purpose. Before the middle of the twentieth century, most people did not have watches, and prior to the 18th century even home clocks were rare. The first
59:
on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building. Some other buildings also have clock faces on their exterior but these structures serve other main functions.
108:
a structure is defined as a building if at least fifty percent of its height is made up of floor plates containing habitable floor area. Structures that do not meet this criterion, are defined as
547:
105:
112:. A clock tower historically fits this definition of a tower and therefore can be defined as any tower specifically built with one or more (often four)
802:
524:, with a clock added in 2000. The building has a roof height of 187.68 m (615.7 ft), and an antenna height of 237 m (778 ft). The
494:
486:
805:) National Park Service. page 10. Retrieved November 9, 2017. "The statue was … hoisted to the top of the tower in fourteen sections in 1894."
104:
that may have clocks or clock faces attached to them and some structures have had clocks added to an existing structure. According to the
736:
929:
706:
146:
and then had clocks added to them. As these structures fulfil the definition of a tower they can be considered to be clock towers.
914:
857:
773:
532:, with a clock added in 2002, has a roof height of 240 m (790 ft), and an antenna height of 272 m (892 ft).
826:
814:
603:
581:
889:
517:
31:
919:
525:
352:
daily in order to account for the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year, and it also featured five
482:
934:
698:
295:
63:
Clock towers are a common sight in many parts of the world with some being iconic buildings. One example is the
505:, United Kingdom. The tower stands at 100 metres (330 feet) tall and was completed in 1908. The clock tower of
498:
379:
94:
431:
221:
139:
798:
506:
411:
909:
729:
718:
387:
163:
838:
817:. (archive) Retrieved November 9, 2017. "1889: Mayor Fitler moves into completed offices on west side."
154:
561:
451:
291:
83:
345:
287:
829:. (archive) Retrieved November 9, 2017. "1891: State Supreme Court opens in permanent courtroom."
628:
620:
267:
233:
195:
601:
Noble, Joseph V.; de Solla Price, Derek J. (1968). "The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds".
216:
142:, sometimes playing simple musical phrases or tunes. Some clock towers were previously built as
187:
on the outside of the tower would allow the townspeople to read the time whenever they wanted.
733:
702:
313:
253:
158:
Presumably the first depiction of a medieval central
European clock tower (without the actual
135:
120:
612:
435:
263:
924:
893:
861:
740:
463:
423:
309:
229:
89:
64:
371:
Line (mains) synchronous tower clocks were introduced in the United States in the 1920s.
427:
180:
79:
320:
in 1206. It was about 3.3 metres (11 feet) high, and had multiple functions alongside
282:
mechanism. In
England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to
903:
854:
777:
632:
536:
415:
516:
Taller buildings have had clock faces added to their existing structure such as the
294:. The oldest surviving turret clock formerly part of a clock tower in Europe is the
576:
260:
245:
210:
159:
131:
52:
190:
316:
constructed an elaborate clock called the "castle clock" and described it in his
886:
471:
447:
365:
321:
249:
143:
134:. It often marks the hour (and sometimes segments of an hour) by sounding large
566:
510:
502:
299:
279:
184:
127:. Not all clocks on buildings therefore make the building into a clock tower.
116:
101:
56:
509:
was part of the tallest building in the world from 1894, when the tower was
459:
341:
305:
124:
37:
394:
Some clock towers have become famous landmarks. Prominent examples include
386:
is the common name for the
Elizabeth Tower at the north end (right) of the
71:", although strictly this name belongs only to the bell inside the tower).
489:
in
Birmingham, England – the tallest freestanding clock tower in the world
17:
361:
329:
571:
399:
395:
383:
283:
275:
271:
241:
68:
845:. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
624:
521:
455:
439:
419:
407:
325:
237:
199:
109:
753:
616:
799:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form"
546:
540:
529:
481:
443:
378:
357:
353:
349:
215:
189:
176:
153:
113:
88:
78:
42:
36:
328:
and the solar and lunar paths, and a pointer in the shape of the
467:
337:
333:
881:
726:
244:
and was created in the 1st century BC during the period of
678:
Publications of the Modern
Language Association of America
344:, every hour. It was possible to re-program the length of
868:. Premier Composite Technologies. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
493:
The tallest freestanding clock tower in the world is the
544:
in diameter, at about 400 m (1,300 ft) high.
721:, "Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval Near East",
695:
Science in
Medieval Islam: An Illustrated Introduction
340:
and causing automatic doors to open, each revealing a
356:
musicians who automatically play music when moved by
252:(or clepsydra), driven by water coming down from the
302:, in 1326, 'showed various astronomical phenomena'.
513:and the building partially occupied, until 1908.
318:Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices
119:and that can be either freestanding or part of a
649:, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p. 140.
676:Frederick Tupper, Jr., 'Anglo-Saxon Dæg-Mæl',
51:are a specific type of structure that house a
290:, in 1288; and in 1292 a clock was put up in
130:The mechanism inside the tower is known as a
8:
659:
657:
655:
106:Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
774:"Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower"
680:, Vol. 10, No. 2 (1895), p. 130, citing
882:Towerclocks.org - Tower clocks database
593:
495:Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower
27:Architectural structure housing a clock
298:, completed in 130. A clock put up at
228:The use of clock towers dates back to
647:Chinese Thought, Society, and Science
7:
551:Shibpur Bishops College, Clock Tower
248:. In its interior, there was also a
179:did not have faces, but were solely
332:that travelled across the top of a
232:. The earliest clock tower was the
815:""History of City Hall: 1886-1890"
170:" ("this is the house of a clock")
25:
855:"Dokaae Tower Clock And Crescent"
827:"History of City Hall: 1891-1901"
776:. Skyscraper News. Archived from
398:built in 1859, which houses the
123:or municipal building such as a
604:American Journal of Archaeology
324:. It included a display of the
582:Thirteenth stroke of the clock
1:
518:Palace of Culture and Science
203:
887:Railway Station Clock Towers
278:in 1088, featuring a liquid
32:Clock Tower (disambiguation)
839:"Makkah Royal Clock Tower "
67:in London (usually called "
951:
739:December 25, 2007, at the
526:NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building
168:cest li masons don orologe
29:
754:"UK Parliament - Big Ben"
699:University of Texas Press
693:Howard R. Turner (1997),
296:Salisbury Cathedral clock
162:) in the 13th century by
930:Ancient Greek technology
499:University of Birmingham
95:Helsinki Central Station
915:Hellenistic engineering
725:, May 1991, p. 64-69. (
665:Encyclopædia Britannica
240:, which featured eight
222:Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
734:Mechanical Engineering
552:
507:Philadelphia City Hall
490:
412:Philadelphia City Hall
391:
270:tower was designed by
225:
213:
171:
97:
86:
45:
730:Donald Routledge Hill
719:Donald Routledge Hill
550:
539:, a hotel complex in
485:
388:Palace of Westminster
382:
360:operated by a hidden
219:
193:
164:Villard de Honnecourt
157:
93:A clock tower in the
92:
82:
55:and have one or more
40:
896:Architecture of time
843:skyscrapercenter.com
645:Bodde, Derk (1991),
611:(4): 345–355 (353).
562:List of clock towers
452:Parliament of Canada
402:(generally known as
336:, moved by a hidden
292:Canterbury Cathedral
84:Sarajevo Clock Tower
30:For other uses, see
723:Scientific American
462:clock tower in the
432:Torre dell'Orologio
920:Ancient inventions
892:2019-02-22 at the
860:2012-03-04 at the
553:
491:
392:
268:astronomical clock
234:Tower of the Winds
226:
214:
196:Tower of the Winds
172:
98:
87:
46:
497:(Old Joe) at the
314:Upper Mesopotamia
41:A clock tower in
16:(Redirected from
942:
935:Greek inventions
869:
852:
846:
836:
830:
824:
818:
812:
806:
796:
790:
789:
787:
785:
770:
764:
763:
761:
760:
750:
744:
716:
710:
691:
685:
674:
668:
661:
650:
643:
637:
636:
598:
436:Piazza San Marco
208:
205:
21:
950:
949:
945:
944:
943:
941:
940:
939:
900:
899:
894:Wayback Machine
878:
873:
872:
862:Wayback Machine
853:
849:
837:
833:
825:
821:
813:
809:
797:
793:
783:
781:
772:
771:
767:
758:
756:
752:
751:
747:
741:Wayback Machine
717:
713:
692:
688:
675:
671:
662:
653:
644:
640:
600:
599:
595:
590:
558:
480:
424:Spasskaya Tower
410:, the tower of
396:Elizabeth Tower
377:
310:Artuqid dynasty
274:and erected at
206:
181:striking clocks
152:
100:There are many
77:
65:Elizabeth Tower
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
948:
946:
938:
937:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
902:
901:
898:
897:
884:
877:
876:External links
874:
871:
870:
847:
831:
819:
807:
791:
780:on 1 July 2018
765:
745:
711:
686:
669:
667:5, 835 (1951).
651:
638:
617:10.2307/503828
592:
591:
589:
586:
585:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
557:
554:
479:
476:
428:Moscow Kremlin
376:
373:
364:attached to a
151:
148:
76:
73:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
947:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
907:
905:
895:
891:
888:
885:
883:
880:
879:
875:
867:
863:
859:
856:
851:
848:
844:
840:
835:
832:
828:
823:
820:
816:
811:
808:
804:
800:
795:
792:
779:
775:
769:
766:
755:
749:
746:
742:
738:
735:
731:
728:
724:
720:
715:
712:
708:
707:0-292-78149-0
704:
700:
696:
690:
687:
683:
679:
673:
670:
666:
660:
658:
656:
652:
648:
642:
639:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
605:
597:
594:
587:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
559:
555:
549:
545:
542:
538:
537:Abraj Al Bait
533:
531:
527:
523:
519:
514:
512:
508:
504:
500:
496:
488:
484:
477:
475:
473:
469:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
416:Rajabai Tower
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
389:
385:
381:
374:
372:
369:
367:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
331:
330:crescent moon
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
262:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
223:
220:Clock Tower,
218:
212:
201:
197:
192:
188:
186:
182:
178:
169:
166:, entitled: "
165:
161:
156:
149:
147:
145:
141:
137:
133:
128:
126:
122:
118:
115:
111:
107:
103:
96:
91:
85:
81:
74:
72:
70:
66:
61:
58:
54:
50:
44:
39:
33:
19:
910:Clock towers
865:
850:
842:
834:
822:
810:
794:
782:. Retrieved
778:the original
768:
757:. Retrieved
748:
722:
714:
694:
689:
681:
677:
672:
664:
646:
641:
608:
602:
596:
577:Street clock
534:
515:
492:
403:
393:
370:
317:
304:
261:Song dynasty
258:
246:Roman Greece
227:
211:Roman Greece
207: 50 BC
173:
167:
160:turret clock
132:turret clock
129:
99:
62:
53:turret clock
49:Clock towers
48:
47:
682:Archæologia
472:Switzerland
448:Peace Tower
366:water wheel
322:timekeeping
288:Westminster
250:water clock
144:Bell towers
57:clock faces
904:Categories
759:2009-10-27
697:, p. 184.
588:References
567:Bell tower
511:topped out
503:Birmingham
458:, and the
400:Great Bell
300:St. Albans
280:escapement
102:structures
75:Definition
18:Clocktower
684:, v, 416.
633:193112893
460:Zytglogge
390:in London
375:Landmarks
342:mannequin
306:Al-Jazari
254:Acropolis
230:antiquity
125:town hall
890:Archived
858:Archived
784:15 April
737:Archived
663:Clocks,
556:See also
464:Old City
362:camshaft
242:sundials
202:, built
803:archive
572:Minaret
487:Old Joe
478:Records
450:of the
434:in the
426:of the
404:Big Ben
384:Big Ben
354:robotic
334:gateway
308:of the
284:Big Ben
276:Kaifeng
272:Su Song
224:, India
209:during
150:History
69:Big Ben
925:Clocks
866:pct.ae
705:
631:
625:503828
623:
522:Warsaw
456:Ottawa
446:, the
440:Venice
430:, the
422:, the
420:Mumbai
414:, the
408:London
358:levers
326:zodiac
238:Athens
200:Athens
177:clocks
140:chimes
121:church
110:towers
629:S2CID
621:JSTOR
541:Mecca
530:Tokyo
444:Italy
406:) in
350:night
286:, at
266:, an
264:China
136:bells
117:faces
114:clock
43:Erbil
786:2014
703:ISBN
535:The
468:Bern
348:and
338:cart
194:The
185:dial
801:. (
727:cf.
613:doi
528:in
520:in
501:in
466:of
454:in
438:in
418:in
346:day
312:in
259:In
236:in
198:in
138:or
906::
864:.
841:.
732:,
701:,
654:^
627:.
619:.
609:72
607:.
474:.
470:,
442:,
368:.
256:.
204:c.
788:.
762:.
743:)
709:.
635:.
615::
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.