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| The Glockenspiel Clock, Swiss Court. |
If you approach Leicester Square, from the west, you will find yourself on Swiss Court. This small thoroughfare, less than 40 metres (130 feet) in length, was once home to the Swiss Centre.
The Swiss Centre, built between 1963 and 1966, was a 14-storey building that was a showcase for Switzerland and its products. The centre featured a commercial and trade centre.This included a branch of a Swiss bank and a Swissair ticket office tourist office. There was also a chocolate and souvenir shop, a cafe and, in its basement, several Swiss-themed restaurants.
The rest of the building was taken up with offices, residential spaces, a penthouse and a viewing gallery.
Over the years the Swiss connection was gradually lost, with closures of the souvenir shop and, later, much of the rest of the centre,
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| M&M's World is now open where the Swiss Centre once stood. |
The centre was demolished in 2008, when the area was redeveloped. 'M&M's World' moved into the new building, opening in June 2011, while the 'W Hotel' took over much of the rest of the site.
However, besides the name Swiss Court, the thoroughfare still has a Swiss connection.
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| The Cantonal Tree. |
The Cantonal Tree.
The Cantonal Tree, also known as the Wappenbaum, is a monument that features the coats of arms of Switzerland's 26 cantons.
In 1977, it was gifted to Britain for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, with the thoroughfare formally renamed Swiss Court, in 1991.
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| The Glockenspiel Clock. |
The Glockenspiel Clock.
The large carillon clock was part of the Swiss Centre, from its opening. In 1984 the glockenspiel was added. It comprises 27 bells and 11 moving Swiss figures. These figures were carved by Fritz Fuchs, in 1968. It first rang in 1984 and last rang on Friday September 21, 2007.
On the hour, the clock would chime, the bells would ring and the figures would move around the curved wall.
The Glockenspiel Clock was placed in storage and, following repair and redesign by Smith of Derby, with help from Swiss artists, was reinstalled close to its original position, on Swiss Court, in November 2011.
It is now a 10 metre (32 feet) high freestanding clock. The clock is wireless and controlled from Derby, while the glockenspiel now plays music written by London’s Royal Academy of Music and the University for Music and Art, in Berne.
In 1985, the clock was dedicated by the people of the Confederation of Switzerland and of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the City of Westminster on the occasion of its 400th Anniversary.
It was rededicated in November 2011.
Performance Times.
Weekdays: 12:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00
Weekends: 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00
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