EXCLUSIVE: 50-year-old time capsule discovered under San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid is celebrating a massive renovation revealing a new state-of-the-art facility. But deep within its steel bones, construction crews have discovered a time capsule. What was in it? ABC7 News got an exclusive look.
John Gullixson has been overseeing the $400 million renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid purchased by SHVO in 2020.
Despite years of renovations, and rumors of a time capsule in the tower, no one had found any sign of it.
"On my desk, was this old plan from 1974 and it was labeled 'Time Capsule' and suddenly I realized there was a time capsule in the building," said Gullixson.
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Gullixson identified the column where the capsule was supposedly buried, but getting to it seemed impossible.
"We had already undertaken the renovation and infilled the floor, the time capsule was literally buried under six feet of concrete," said Gullixson.
Finding the hidden treasure seemed impossible.
"But the good news is, when I realized it was here - there is actually our loading dock right below this space," said Gullixson.
Under the tower, an unmarked clue.
"It didn't make any sense - because a beam never stops between two other beams - So I knew this must be the time capsule," said Gullixson.
Crews chiseled through the concrete to uncover the airtight time capsule.
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Inside, a revealing look at the history a curated history of the tower, and the block it stands on, found almost exactly 50 years from the date it was buried.
Carefully chosen photos and documents showcase the block's gold rush past, even including a long-lost recipe for San Francisco's Pisco Punch cocktail. There are renderings of the original design, newspaper clippings, and leaflets about the battle for and against the tower's construction. Film, microfiche, and audio recordings too. There are also glimpses of what life might be like in the future.
"This building despite its provenance, it is 50-plus years old. The bones are incredible, you know it doesn't feel that way," said Gullixson.
The time capsule and its contents will eventually be available for everyone to see. The developer plans to put them on public display soon.
