Capturing time – past, present and future time capsules at One Great George Street

Have you ever wondered what life was like over 100 years ago? And what our descendants will think of us in another 100 years?

Opening a time capsule allows you to travel back in time, to uncover the values and interests of those who created it.

It offers a glimpse into their identities and perhaps even their fashion choices! They can be an important way to preserve a moment in history.

ICE President Professor Anusha Shah, recently unveiled a plaque marking the site of a new time capsule installed at One Great George Street (OGGS), the ICE’s London headquarters.

The time capsule was placed in the dome ceiling of the entrance hall at OGGS on Friday 13 September 2024.

It was at the end of the summer refurbishment works undertaken to repair, conserve and enhance areas of the historic building, with a particular focus on improving its carbon footprint.

Did you know there’s already a time capsule in the building?

On 25 October 1910, the then ICE president, James Charles Inglis, hosted a special ceremony to mark the laying of a foundation stone into the new building in Westminster.

He was joined by Past President Sir John Wolfe Barry, and president-elect, Alexander Siemens for this special moment, as reported in the Daily Telegraph the following day.

Before the ceremony, Inglis created a time capsule, by placing a copy of that day’s Times newspaper, the Telford, Watt and Stephenson medals and copies of the list of ICE members and ICE charters and by-laws into a recess in the stone.

The time capsule remains untouched, and you see the foundation stone and plaque on the right as you enter One Great George Street, although it is often obscured by the metal gate.

What will future generations find if they open the new time capsule?

The renovation works to the glass dome of One Great George Street allowed the perfect opportunity to place another time capsule into the historic building.

The stainless-steel time capsule is filled with the following:

• A copy of the latest ICE annual report. This shares the key aims and achievements of the organisation. It also lists the ICE Trustee Board and leadership team, along with some great photos of ICE activities.
• Business cards and a list of every person, their company name and their trade or role working on the project, including all client and consultant team members, the building manager, the conservation officer, the district surveyor and any Historic England representatives involved with the project.
• A set of English coins (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2).
• A copy of the Listed Building Consent and any conditions for the reroofing works.
• A copy of The Times newspaper for the day the capsule is installed.
• A memory stick containing the contactor's schedule of condition photographs of the building taken by the contractor at the commencement of the project.
• Details of the weather forecast for the day the capsule is installed.
• The name of the person who places the capsule in its final location and the day, date and time of positioning.

When will the time capsules be opened?

There is no set date for the capsule to be reopened and no plans to open the one placed in the foundation stone all those years ago.

But one day, these time capsules will be reopened in a world full of unknowns.

Will physical currency become redundant? Will people still wear traditional attire, such as suits?

And importantly, will those that open the time capsule in the future live in a world with fewer carbon emissions and nature- and people-positive engineering?

Whenever that time comes, it’s our aspiration that the ICE has helped create a world with the engineering capacity and infrastructure systems it needs to enable our planet and those who live on it, to thrive.