Metropolitan Square Time Capsule 1988-2013
Metropolitan Square, at 593 feet, is the tallest office building in St. Louis. The Gateway Arch is slightly taller, at 630 feet. When Met Square was being built a 25-year time capsule was placed.
Here we are at the end of August 2013, I’ve not heard anything about opening the time capsule.
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year that started on a Friday, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is the 1988th year of the Common Era, or A.D.; the 988th year of the 2nd millennium; the 88th year of the 20th century; and the 9th year of the 1980s decade. In the 20th century, the year 1988 has the most Roman numeral digits .
1988 was an important year in the early history of the Internet – it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the 1988 Internet worm. The first officially sanctioned online commercial e-mail provider debuted as well. (Wikipedia)
What might be in the time capsule?
- Floppy disks?
- Copy of Bobby McFerrin’s Grammy-winning “Don’t Worry Be Happy” album?
- Tickets from the INXS concert at Kiel Auditorium in March? Or to Tommy Shaw at the Arena, also in March?
- KSDK’s interview with Michael Jackson’s unknown backup singer, Sheryl Crow? On tape, of course.
- Newspaper with story on Richard Gephardt’s bid to be the Democratic nominee for president?
- April issue of GQ with Ozzie Smith on the cover?
No matter what they put in the time capsule I’m sure it’ll make many of us feel old. Now to get someone to set up an opening event.
Update 8/23/13 @ 12:15pm: From a Jones Lang Lasalle representative “We are thinking about October but the date has not been set.”
— Steve Patterson
Seems like a pretty short time span for a time capsule, doesn’t it? Maybe they were concerned that if they went out more than 25 years, no one would want to come downtown?
I found numerous time capsule openings 25 years later, we’ve gotten too impatient to wait 50 years.
It does seem like a very short time. Maybe they knew St. Louis was going to be terra-formed (defiance)? Then again, maybe they were just short sighted…like many of our politicians?
A little on the short side for me also, I remember 1988, I doubt anything would be a surprise unless it contained what really happened to JFK. Might as well do 5 year capsules, hell make it 1.
The old 100 year capsules give a view into the past that no one alive can remember. Of course in our tear down culture we’d be lucky for buildings to last 25 years, not only in downtown, but all over.
Which reminds me of a blog I look at frequently, Paris Daily Photo. The author recently had a photo of a church he posted, he said he thought it was old but he found out it only dated to 1840. So it wasn’t really old.
Sadly, buildings built today don’t live 100 years to have century capsules. Everything today can’t compare to the design, thought, and resilience of buildings of old. Economics, things moving a lot faster.
The planet isn’t sustainable in the tear down capitalist culture that values money above all else. I live in a over 100 year old building that has been updated over the years and will be good for another 200 years or more if maintained.
We are still human beings, same as a couple thousand years ago. St. Louis would do well to learn some lessons from the past.
Nothing is moving faster, only in your mind is that true.
Here is an illustration of what I mean. A batter hits a fly ball and if the fielder catches it his team wins the world series, if he misses it his team lost. He misses it and half the fans cheer madly and half cry inconsolably. But really happened? A round object fell to the ground. Winning and losing is an illusion, just as is fast and slow, all according to the prejudices of your mind.
Have to agree, pretty week on a 25 year time capsule. For the most part could do away with most of the eighties, showing my age, except that some of the music was at least as good as the 70’s despite what my older siblings will say. Not talking the cheesy 80’s pop music but some good ol head banger music with the big hair videos to go along with it.