Getty Center facts for kids
The Getty Center campus as viewed from the south
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| Established | December 16, 1997 |
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| Location | 1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, California |
| Type | Art museum |
| Visitors | >1,400,000 (2019) |
| Architect | Richard Meier |
| Public transit access | Los Angeles Metro Bus: 233, 761 via Getty Center Tram |
The Getty Center is a famous place in Los Angeles, California. It is home to the Getty Museum and other important programs. This amazing center opened on December 16, 1997. It cost about $1.3 billion to build.
People love the Getty Center for its special buildings, beautiful gardens, and great views. You can see all of Los Angeles from its hilltop location. To get there, visitors take a cool tram from the parking garage up the hill.
The Getty Center is in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. It is one of two places where the J. Paul Getty Museum shows its art. The other place is the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. About 1.8 million people visit the Getty Center every year.
At the Getty Center, you can see European paintings, drawings, and sculptures. These artworks are from before the 1900s. There are also photographs from the 1830s to today. Outside, you can find sculptures in the gardens. The large Central Garden was designed by artist Robert Irwin. One very famous painting here is Vincent van Gogh's Irises.
The architect Richard Meier designed the Getty Center. It also has the Getty Research Institute (GRI), the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The buildings were made to be safe from earthquakes and fires.
Contents
- Where is the Getty Center and How Did It Start?
- What is the Architecture Like?
- How Do Visitors Arrive?
- Parking and Getting Around
- What Can You See in the Museum?
- Exploring the Central Garden
- What is the Getty Research Institute (GRI)?
- Other Important Offices
- How the Getty Center Stays Safe
- Images for kids
- See also
Where is the Getty Center and How Did It Start?
The Getty Museum first started in J. Paul Getty's house. This was in Pacific Palisades in 1954. He added a museum part to his home. Later, in the 1970s, Getty built a copy of an Italian villa. This new building, called the Getty Villa, opened in 1974. It was built to hold his growing art collection.
After Getty passed away in 1976, his property became part of the Getty Trust. But the art collection kept getting bigger. The Getty Villa became too small. So, they looked for a new place that was easier to reach in Los Angeles. In 1983, they bought the land for the Getty Center. It is a 24-acre campus on a 110-acre site. It sits in the Santa Monica Mountains above Interstate 405. The area around it is kept natural.
The top of the hill is 900 feet above sea level. On a clear day, you can see the Los Angeles skyline. You can also see the San Bernardino Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains to the east. The Pacific Ocean is visible to the west.
Richard Meier was chosen as the architect in 1984. Construction began in August 1989. The center finally opened to the public on December 16, 1997. The Getty Villa then closed for a while for updates. It reopened in 2006. Now, the museum shows art at both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa. The Villa focuses on ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art.
What is the Architecture Like?
Richard Meier designed the Getty Center using two main lines. These lines follow the natural shape of the hills. One line guides the museum galleries. The other line guides the office buildings. Meier made sure you could see long views across the campus.
For example, a main path goes from the helipad. It passes between buildings and through the rotunda. It continues past the art pavilions and into the Central Garden. This design helps visitors find their way around.
The buildings at the Getty Center are made of concrete and steel. They are covered with a special stone called travertine or aluminum. About 1,200,000 square feet of travertine was used. That's a lot of stone!
Many fountains are placed around the campus. They create a calming sound. Benches and fences were added around some fountains. This is to keep visitors from wading in the water.
The north side of the center has a circular grass area. This can be used as a heliport in emergencies. The south side has a garden with succulent plants and cactuses. Roads go around the complex for deliveries and staff parking. The hillsides around the center are planted with California Live Oak trees.
The museum has a huge underground parking garage. It has over 1,200 parking spots. The roof of the garage is an outdoor sculpture garden. An automatic tram takes people from the parking garage at the bottom of the hill to the museum at the top.
How Do Visitors Arrive?
Visitors usually arrive at the tram station. This station is in the arrival plaza. From there, large steps lead to the main doors of the rotunda building. The rotunda building has information desks and museum shops. It also has two theaters where you can learn about the Getty Center.
A grand staircase in the rotunda leads to the paintings. These are on the second floor of each art pavilion. The rotunda opens to a terrace on the south side. This terrace connects all five museum pavilions.
A separate building near the arrival plaza has a cafeteria and a restaurant. Next to the restaurant is a stone arch. This arch separates the museum area from the Getty Research Institute. Stairs from the terrace lead down to the beautiful Central Garden.
Parking and Getting Around
The Getty Center has a seven-story underground parking garage for visitors. There is a cost to park there, which changes depending on the day.
The Getty Center tram is a fun way to get up the hills. It takes visitors right to the center. The tram runs all day long.
What Can You See in the Museum?
The J. Paul Getty Museum is one of the most visited museums in the United States. It gets about 1.8 million visitors each year. The art at the Getty Center includes:
- European paintings, drawings, and sculptures from before the 1900s.
- Decorative arts, like furniture and tapestries.
- Photographs from the 1800s and 1900s.
Some famous paintings you can see are:
- Arii Matamoe (The Royal End) by Paul Gauguin (1892). This painting's name means "noble" and "sleeping eyes" in Tahitian, suggesting "death."
- Irises by Vincent van Gogh (1889). The museum bought this painting in 1990.
- Portrait of a Halberdier by Pontormo (1528–1530). This painting was bought for a very high price in 1989.
- A copy of Portrait of Louis XIV by the workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud (after 1701).
The Getty's large collection of photographs is on the lower level of the west pavilion.
The museum building has a three-level base. This base is for staff and storage. On top of the base are five public, two-story towers. These are called the North, East, South, West, and Exhibitions Pavilions. The Exhibitions Pavilion shows art that is visiting from other places. It also holds art from the Getty's collection that doesn't fit in the other pavilions.
The permanent art collection is shown in the other four pavilions. They are arranged by time period. The North Pavilion has the oldest art. The West Pavilion has the newest art. The first-floor galleries show art that is sensitive to light. This includes illuminated manuscripts, furniture, and photographs.
The second-floor galleries have special skylights. These skylights let natural light shine on the paintings. Glass bridges and open terraces connect the second floors. From these, you can see views of the hills and the central plaza. Sculptures are also placed outside on terraces and balconies. The lower level has a public cafeteria and the photography galleries.
The museum offers many activities. These include art shows, family workshops, and school visits. They also have performances, talks, and tours. Brochures are available for kids. These brochures help them find art and learn fun facts.
Exploring the Central Garden
The Central Garden at the Getty Center is 134,000 square feet. It was designed by artist Robert Irwin. Planning for the garden started in 1992. It was finished in December 1997.
Robert Irwin said the Central Garden "is a sculpture in the form of a garden." Water is a very important part of the garden. A fountain near the restaurant flows towards the garden. It seems to fall into a cave on the north garden wall. The water then flows down the hillside into a pool with azaleas. Designers placed rocks in the stream to make different sounds from the water.
A stream lined with trees goes down to a plaza. Walkways cross over the stream. The stream continues through the plaza and over a stone waterfall into a round pool. A maze of azaleas floats in this pool. Around the pool are other special gardens. More than 500 types of plants are used in the Central Garden. The plants are always changing, so it looks different each time you visit.
In 2007, a new outdoor sculpture garden was added. It is called the "Lower Terrace Garden." It is on the west side of the central garden.
What is the Getty Research Institute (GRI)?
The Getty Research Institute (GRI) is a place for learning about visual arts. It helps people understand art better. The GRI has a large library with over 900,000 books and magazines. It also has two million photographs of art and buildings.
The GRI also has art shows and publishes books. It has a program for scholars who come to study there. At the Getty Center, the GRI is located west of the museum. Its round building surrounds a beautiful garden. The main entrance of the GRI is connected to the museum's arrival court by a terrace. There are outdoor sculptures along this path. The GRI has one art gallery that is open to the public.
Other Important Offices
Richard Meier also designed three other buildings. These are near the north side of the complex. The building furthest north is an auditorium. Next to it is the North Building. The East Building sits between the North Building and the rotunda. The main entrance to the East Building has two round towers with elevators. A bridge connects the East Building to the main walkway.
These buildings house the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the J. Paul Getty Trust, and the Getty Foundation. These buildings are usually closed to the public. However, special events are held in the auditorium. They are connected to the museum by landscaped terraces and a glass walkway.
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) started in 1985. It helps protect and preserve art and buildings. It does this through science, education, and special projects. The GCI works to keep art safe for the future.
The Getty Foundation gives money to help people understand and save visual arts. It also helps train museum leaders. Its offices are north of the museum. The J. Paul Getty Trust oversees all the Getty organizations. Its offices are also in these buildings.
How the Getty Center Stays Safe
The Getty Center was built with special features to protect it from natural disasters.
Earthquakes
Los Angeles has many earthquakes. During construction in 1994, a big earthquake called the Northridge earthquake happened. It caused small cracks in the steel parts of the buildings. Because of this, the steel was made stronger. The buildings are now designed to survive a strong earthquake. They can handle one up to 7.5 on the Richter scale.
Fires
Fires are also a risk in this area. The electrical transformers at the center use a special liquid. This liquid is safer than other types and less likely to catch fire. The natural plants around the center that burn easily were removed. Fire-resistant plants were put in their place. Every year, goats are rented to eat the brush on the hills. This helps clear away dry plants that could fuel a fire.
At the north end of the center, there is a large tank. It holds 1,000,000 gallons of water. There is also a grass-covered helipad. This allows helicopters to collect water to fight fires. The ramp from the entrance plaza to the museum is wide enough for a fire truck. Inside the museum, the sprinkler system is designed carefully. It balances the risk of fire damage with the risk of water damage to valuable art.
Images for kids
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A near 180-degree panoramic view of Los Angeles looking south from the Getty on an exceptionally clear day
See also
In Spanish: Getty Center para niños
