Time as Puzzle at Hauptbahnhof St. Gallen
- SITE_SPECIFIC
- Aug 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 11
In 2018, St. Gallen’s Hauptbahnhof unveiled a striking public artwork on its south-facing glass cubus: a binary clock designed by Swiss media artist Norbert Möslang. Created as part of a “Kunst-am-Bau” competition for the station renovation, Möslang’s design was selected from eight submissions and implemented with a budget of approximately CHF 324,000 (I know, it’s unusual to see such exact figures in open sources, God bless Swiss transparency!). The installation combines precision, visual rhythm, and playful engagement, transforming a utilitarian station façade into an interactive artwork.
The clock encodes hours, minutes, and seconds across three horizontal rows: circles for hours, crosses for minutes, and squares for seconds. Each column represents a binary place-value (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32), so that the sum of illuminated symbols provides the current time. For example, three circles in the hours row might indicate 14 hours, while four crosses in the minutes row sum to 15 minutes. The design integrates technical accuracy with a luminous geometric aesthetic, making the station both functional and visually distinctive.
Möslang conceived the clock to engage with the universal motif of time in stations —places of transit, waiting, and orientation. Unlike a conventional clock, the binary display encourages viewers to pause, decode, or simply observe its evolving pattern.
Some attempt to calculate the exact time, while others simply enjoy the luminous design (I have to confess, I was one of those who tried to calculate it and failed spectacularly many times, before stoically deciding to simply enjoy the process of this unexpected gamified challenge).
In this sense, the installation is both a functional tool and a playful, contemplative experience, merging infrastructure with artistic expression. I also could not help thinking how this artwork creates, maybe unintentionally, a dialogue with Höller’s neon ceiling artwork in Zürich HB, turning the two installations into a kind of mini cross-city puzzle.
Public response has been largely positive. Commuters and design enthusiasts appreciate the clock as a memorable visual element of the station. It attracted wider attention online when social-media users attempted to read the time, turning it into a small viral phenomenon. Some observers note that, in a busy station context, the binary display requires a moment of attention, offering a playful and engaging alternative to a conventional clock. Its luminous pattern is readable both day and night, enriching the experience of the station for tens of thousands of daily users.
The binary clock exemplifies the principles of “Kunst am Bau,” demonstrating how public art can enrich civic infrastructure. It integrates seamlessly into the architectural redesign by Giuliani Hönger Architekten and engineers Dr. Lüchinger + Meyer, enlivening the arrival hall without interrupting commuter flows. Beyond timekeeping, the installation highlights the interplay of light, pattern, and rhythm, creating an urban landmark that invites curiosity and reflection.
Ultimately, Möslang’s work transforms the station façade into more than a building; it becomes a site of interaction between art, technology, and everyday life. The clock encourages observation, contemplation, and engagement in a public space otherwise defined by movement, transit, and often stress. Its presence affirms that public art can simultaneously serve functional, aesthetic, experiential and experimental purposes, enriching the urban landscape while offering a subtle challenge to perception.
Text by Jonas Spielman
Address:
Hauptbahnhof St. Gallen, arrival hall
Bahnhofplatz 2, 9000
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Commissioned by:
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
As part of the Bahnhofplatz and arrival hall renovation
Under the “Kunst am Bau” program
Note:
If you were also wondering how to read Binary Clock, watch this video.
