Berlin Clock · Reading and design
Four rows of lights add up to the hours and minutes.
How to read
Set aside the round light at the top and read the four rectangular rows from top to bottom. Each light is worth 5 hours, 1 hour, 5 minutes and 1 minute respectively. Lights fill from left to right; count only those that are lit.
A worked example
3 × 5 + 2 = 17
7 × 5 + 3 = 38
At 17:38, the first two rows give 3 × 5 + 2 = 17 hours. The lower rows give 7 × 5 + 3 = 38 minutes. At 17:40, the five-minute row grows to eight lights and the bottom row clears: there are no leftover minutes.
Details to know
- In the default palette, positions 3, 6 and 9 in the five-minute row mark 15, 30 and 45 minutes in a contrasting color. Each still counts as just five minutes. With custom colors, use the row and number of lit cells to read the time.
- With seconds enabled, the round light is bright on even seconds and dim on odd seconds; it shows a pulse rather than a second count. The rows use 24-hour time and are all dark at 00:00. Switching the digits below to 12-hour time does not change the hours encoded in the rows.
Historical background
Dieter Binninger designed the Berlin Clock in 1975. Originally at Kurfürstendamm and Uhlandstraße, it later moved to the Europa Center.
Design and this interpretation
Repeated horizontal blocks turn time into a changing geometric composition. This face keeps the four rows and round light, translating their public-clock character into screen graphics with adjustable colors.