Buried in time

Posted 20th September 2012 • By Design Indaba • Topic Product Design • Category Design Snippets in News
Some of the world's foremost architects and designers selected objects to bury in a time capsule! Take a look inside...
Time Capsule.
Time Capsule.
London 2012 Olympic Torch. Photo: Courtesy Design Museum.
London 2012 Olympic Torch. Photo: Courtesy Design Museum.
Tin of Anchovies. Photo: Dominic French.
Tin of Anchovies. Photo: Dominic French.
iPhone 4S. Photo: Dominic French.
iPhone 4S. Photo: Dominic French.
Isle of Man, London 2012 Olympic Games Stamps. Photo: Dominic French.
Isle of Man, London 2012 Olympic Games Stamps. Photo: Dominic French.
Standard Light Bulb. Photo: Dominic French.
Standard Light Bulb. Photo: Dominic French.
2p Stamp. Photo: Dominic French.
2p Stamp. Photo: Dominic French.
Good Bottle of 2012 Burgundy. Photo: Dominic French.
Good Bottle of 2012 Burgundy. Photo: Dominic French.
Mini Lockheed Lounge. Photo: Dominic French.
Mini Lockheed Lounge. Photo: Dominic French.
1949 Wish Bone Chair. Photo: Dominic French.
1949 Wish Bone Chair. Photo: Dominic French.
Battersea Power Station. Photo: Courtesy Design Museum.
Battersea Power Station. Photo: Courtesy Design Museum.
Badoiiing Game. Photo: Dominic French.
Badoiiing Game. Photo: Dominic French.
Cylinder Coffee Pot. Photo: Dominic French.
Cylinder Coffee Pot. Photo: Dominic French.
European Union Flag. Photo: Dominic French.
European Union Flag. Photo: Dominic French.
One Euro Coin. Photo: Dominic French.
One Euro Coin. Photo: Dominic French.
USB with jazz and blues music album covers. Photo: Dominic French.
USB with jazz and blues music album covers. Photo: Dominic French.
Mini time capsules with mini plans of the new Design Museum.
Mini time capsules with mini plans of the new Design Museum.

What would put in a time capsule? It is an interesting question to think about. And a difficult one at that – what one object would you select to represent you, your work, an era?

In celebration of the new Design Museum in London, a time capsule was buried in the foundations of the new building. And some of the world’s foremost architects and designers were invited to nominate an object to go into the time capsule.

The chosen objects are diverse in nature, form and function: think a tin of anchovies, next to the European Union flag, alongside a postage stamp!

Here are the nominators, with their objects:

Sir Terence Conran

  • iPhone 4S
  • Tin of anchovies
  • A good bottle of 2012 Burgundy

Thomas Heatherwick with Ingo Maurer

  • Standard light bulb

Marc Newson

  • Mini Lockheed Lounge

Margaret Howell

  • Image of Battersea Power Station

Zaha Hadid

  • Model of MAXXI museum in Rome

John Pawson

  • 1949 Wish Bone Chair (miniature model) for Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen and Son

Kenneth Grange

  • Cylinder Line Coffee Pit designed by Arne Jacobsen

Cecil Balmond

  • European Union Flag
  • One Euro coin
  • 2p Stamp
  • USB containing images of jazz and blues music album covers, including John Coltrane and Bing Crosby 

Sir Paul Smith

  • Isle of Man, London 2012 Olympic Games Stamps designed by Paul Smith

Deyan Sudjic

  • London 2012 Olympic Torch designed by BarberOsgerby
  • Badoiiing Game, 2012 winner of the museum's Design Ventura competition for 13-16 year-old D&T students

It was also recently announced that a major donation by the Swarovski Foundation will enable the creation of a world-class Learning Centre for design.

Designed by John Pawson, the new Design Museum, which will be the world’s leading museum of its kind, is planned to open in 2015.

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