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Getty Center

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{

"text": "The Getty Center is a massive art campus located in Los Angeles, California.

Getty Center
Getty Center

It serves as the home for the J. Paul Getty Museum and several other important programs. These programs include the Getty Research Institute (GRI), the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The center is part of the larger Getty Trust. It is a place where people gather to study, preserve, and view world-class art. The campus sits high atop a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains. Because of this height, visitors can see the Pacific Ocean to the west. On clear days, they can also see the Los Angeles skyline and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Getty Center view 2008
Getty Center view 2008

\n\nReaching the campus involves a unique transportation system. Visitors first park in a seven-story underground garage. This garage contains over 1,200 parking spaces.

Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles
Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles

To get from the garage to the hilltop, passengers ride the Getty Center Tram. This is an automated, three-car, cable-pulled people mover. It runs continuously throughout the day to move visitors up the hill. Once at the top, visitors arrive at a plaza located between the administrative buildings and the museum entrance. From there, they can enter the rotunda building to find information or museum shops. A grand staircase within the rotunda leads toward the art pavilions on the second floor.\n\nThe architecture of the center was designed by Richard Meier.

Getty USGS
Getty USGS

Meier used a complex design involving two overlapping grids. These grids are set at a 22.5-degree angle from one another. One grid defines the space for the museum galleries. The other grid organizes the administrative buildings. This creates strong visual lines throughout the campus. The buildings are constructed from steel and concrete. They are finished with a decorative cladding of travertine, which is a type of limestone. The design also includes special provisions to protect the structures from earthquakes and fires. Throughout the campus, many fountains create white noise to provide a calm background for visitors.\n\nThe history of the Getty collection began much earlier than this campus. In 1954, the museum started in the home of J. Paul Getty in Pacific Palisades. He eventually added a museum wing to his residence. In 1974, he opened a replica of an Italian villa to house his growing collection. This site is now known as the Getty Villa. After J. Paul Getty died in 1976, the Getty Trust took control of the property. As the collection grew, it became too large for the villa. In 1983, the trust announced the purchase of the land for the new center. Construction began in August 1989 by the Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company. Although the project faced delays, the center finally opened to the public on December 16, 1997.\n\nThe construction of the Getty Center was a massive financial undertaking. The total cost for the center was approximately $1.3 billion. This budget included $449 million for construction and $115 million for the land and site work. Another $139 million was spent on insurance, architects' fees, and safety measures. Additionally, $30 million was used for fixtures and equipment. While the initial project estimate in 199

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🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:Getty USGS.jpg
Getty USGS.jpg
File:GettyCenterGarden031903.jpg
GettyCenterGarden031903.jpg
File:Getty Center fountain California from NW on 2009-02-08.png
Getty Center fountain California from NW...
File:Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles.jpg
Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles.jpg
File:2003-12-15 Getty Center panorama.jpg
2003-12-15 Getty Center panorama.jpg
File:Getty Center patio.jpg
Getty Center patio.jpg
File:Inner Courtyard of Getty Museum.jpg
Inner Courtyard of Getty Museum.jpg
File:Getty Garden.JPG
Getty Garden.JPG
File:Getty 01.jpg
Getty 01.jpg
File:Getty Center from Central Garden on 2009-02-08.png
Getty Center from Central Garden on 2009-02-08.png
File:Getty Center.jpg
Getty Center.jpg
File:Getty Center view 2008.jpg
Getty Center view 2008.jpg
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