Above: Campus planners have been consulting the original architectural drawings of the UT Tower for a significant renovation to the clock. (University Buildings Collection, Alexander Architecture Archive)

After decades of blemished limestone and ever-growing rust stains, the University of Texas Main Building and Tower is getting a much needed clean-up and restoration, currently set to conclude in the summer of 2027. The project is now at full-throttle and meant to “restore, revitalize and reimagine the historic Tower.” As the crown jewel of the campus, the Tower will soon glow again in the same way it first did in the 1930s, with one important exception. Campus planners have released the details of modernizing the 89-year old Tower clock with a digital display.

Installed in 1936 when the Main Building and its iconic Tower were under construction, each of the four faces of the clock are 12-feet in diameter, with the rims, numbers, and clock hands gilded with gold leaf. The white, translucent face is back-lit for nighttime viewing. But when viewed in the bright Texas sunshine or lit at night, there have always been complaints about not being able to read the time, as the clock hands aren’t always easy to see. University officials hope to solve the problem with a digital display.

Custom-designed 20-by-8 foot displays would be installed over the existing clock faces and given gold-colored borders to harmonize with the Tower’s design. Easily visible during the day and brightly lit at night, campus planners feel the clock will be more easily seen and a great improvement over the original.

Above: A digital display will be easier to view from more of the campus. Click on an image for a larger version.

Of course, such a drastic change to the UT Tower will likely be controversial. Historical concerns have already been raised, and less-than-serious comments on whether the time and temperature might be displayed are already making their way across campus.

Full details about the Tower clock modernization project can be found here.

Above: End of an era for the UT Tower clock? Full details here.