The new year may still be young, but the United States is gearing up for a major milestone in July: the nation’s 250th anniversary. The lead-up to the historic occasion, also known as the semiquincentennial, is marked by special exhibitions, tours and events to commemorate America’s past, present and future.
A recent project from Foster + Partners anticipates the very distant future while simultaneously burying an old rivalry — literally. Earlier this month, US and British officials revealed a stainless steel time capsule designed by the firm that’s set to be buried beneath the Washington Monument in the US capital later this year.
The time capsule — due to be opened on 4 July, 2276 — symbolises the special relationship between the US and the United Kingdom.
‘The 250th anniversary represents one of history’s most remarkable reconciliations from adversaries to the closest of allies,’ said UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy at a special presentation at Mount Vernon, US president George Washington’s Virginia estate.
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and former Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin at a special ceremony at Mount Vernon.
The time capsule is the twin to an identical one in London’s Trafalgar Square that was placed beneath a restored statue of Washington last June.
According to Foster + Partners, the capsules were CNC-machined from a solid piece of stainless steel. Its column-shaped design features 13 flutes that symbolise America’s 13 original colonies; the official state seal of Virginia; and a red closure featuring Washington's initials.
What’s inside? The US version contains soil from Sulgrave Manor, Washington’s ancestral home in the UK; letters from US and UK government officials; essays from Virginia students; and — eventually — letters from President Trump and King Charles III.
A spokesperson for America 250, the bipartisan committee overseeing the semiquincentennial activities, tells Wallpaper* that more information about the time capsule, its contents and burial will be revealed in the coming weeks.