Richard Meier's Getty Center Overlooks the City From Which He Drew Inspiration

The Getty Center. Los Angeles, CA.

The Getty Center opened in 1997 and houses part of the J. Paul Getty Collection as well as the Getty Research Institute, The Getty Conservation Institute, The Getty Foundation, and the J. Paul Getty Trust. It’s set in the Santa Monica mountains with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and LA. The lead architect was Pritzker Prize winner, Richard Meier. Meier’s stated goal was to create a harmonious blend of landscape and building. He was inspired by the urban, cultural, and natural elements of the city. The 3 main building materials are travertine, enamel clad aluminum and glass. Meier chose travertine to display the qualities of permanence, solidity, simplicity, warmth, and craftsmanship. The travertine is the same as is used in the Roman Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain- quarried 15 miles east of Rome. Meier chose to split the limestone slabs along its natural fault lines to reveal their natural textured and fossilized interiors. By using (off-white) enamel clad aluminum panels, Meier was able to produce curved shapes to contrast the limestone walls. The large expansive panes of glass on the exterior walls allows natural light to illuminate the interiors. All panels were uniformly cut to 30 x 30, 15 x 15, or 60 x 60 blocks, for a consistent human scale. The complex is built on 2 natural ridges in the hillside with 2 grids along these axes- the galleries along one and the administrative buildings along the other. Robert Irwin designed the central garden and Laurie Olin designed the surrounding landscape. Water is a key feature with fountains and pools throughout the complex providing the added benefit of white noise. The complex is a pioneer in sustainable building, being the first US project to be awarded silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design).