Getty Center: Magnificent Mountain Vistas
Posted in Art, Historic, Museums, Scenery, Travel, Travel Planning | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Architecture, Art, Los Angeles, Museums, Travel, US Domestic Travel
Before choosing to visit the Getty Center in Los Angeles, I asked a friend who had been there recently if it was worth traveling there. Sometimes things are just hype, after all.
Well, I’m happy to report that the Getty Center is absolutely worth visiting (as my friend said). Especially the buildings, which are works of art themselves.
Arriving from the 405, which can be backed up with typical LA traffic, the Getty Center is reached by a tram from the parking garage. Even the tram ride is an efficient, clean and scenic experience.
It takes only a few minutes for the tram to shuttle visitors to the Getty Center, a private art museum and architectural wonder housing John Paul Getty’s collection and works added since his death. Parking is the only required expense ($15 per vehicle), as all visitors may access the collections for free.
Tram to Getty Center
When you leave the tram, there is a real sense of presence on what is a spectacular campus. With courtyards, gardens, sculptures and other engaging sights, a visitor could spend hours outside.
There are free tours, such as the very informative architectural and focus tours, that take you around for about an hour or more. Knowledgeable tour guides share insights and anecdotes that you would not otherwise learn.
Arrival Plaza
On the architectural tour, the guide shared that the metal and travertine building surfaces (brought from Italy) were removable so work could be done on the structures. A fossil embedded in one of the surfaces was also pointed out.
The buildings and grounds were developed with meticulous care. The builder, Richard Meier, had a devotion to making things harmonious. Working with restrictive requirements for the buildings (no dirt could be brought in and there were height restrictions as well), Meier managed to construct a campus that seems to shine in the sunlight.
Getty Center's West Pavilion from Central Garden
In the courtyard, what appears to be one tree is actually a whole row of trees precisely planted.
The buildings have also been constructed to withstand major earthquakes.
One tree?
No, a row of many precisely planted
Plan to spend a day at the Getty Center if you are an art or architecture fan. (There are snack bars and other restaurants, so you won’t starve.) You will be inspired and glad you took the trip up the mountain.
Central Garden - Getty Center
Tomorrow – Inside the Getty Center.
Tags: Architecture, Art, Los Angeles, Museums, Travel, US Domestic Travel
November 21st, 2011 at 10:15 pm
generally posts some extremely fascinating stuff like this. In case you’re a new comer to this website.