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in times past
A Capsule of the Past, a Vessel for the Future
In 1999, The Times Magazine commissioned a time capsule to be opened at the next millennium. It has been hidden from public view since 2018.
In the In Times Past column, David W. Dunlap explores New York Times history through artifacts housed in the Museum of The Times.
On the eve of the new millennium, in 1999, The New York Times Magazine commissioned the celebrated architect Santiago Calatrava to design a time capsule.
His creation was a sensuous five-foot stainless-steel vessel; part star, part sphere, part flower, part fortune cookie. It was meant to survive for another millennium. Unlike most time capsules, The Times Capsule was intended to be kept aboveground.
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David W. Dunlap, a retired Times reporter and columnist, is the curator of the Museum at The Times, which houses Times artifacts and historical documents. More about David W. Dunlap
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