Prague Metronome

The Prague Metronome is a 23-meter-tall kinetic sculpture that rises above Letná Park, overlooking the Vltava and the city’s core. Erected in 1991, it stands on a plinth that once supported a colossal monument to Joseph Stalin, demolished in 1962, making the metronome a bold, time-bound commentary on history and change. The work was designed by Vratislav Novák and is officially named Time Machine, a title that underscores Prague’s late-20th-century turn toward new narratives after a long period of interruption. Within its frame, the inverted pendulum and motorized mechanism have swung at both 4 and 6 beats per minute, a detail that reflects the sculpture’s living,—sometimes quiet—presence rather than a fixed monument. The plaque at the base bears the inscription “In time, all things pass…,” anchoring the piece to a meditation on transformation over rigid memory. …

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