I n the waning years of the 20th century, the southern California architecture scene was abuzz with speculation about the Getty Center. When the 110-acre campus opened to the public, the press and the masses marveled at its clean lines, it's curving techno-edges, and its homey, safe, atmosphere. This is the Los Angeles that a hundred years of urban planning, decay, and renewal was unable to create in the valley below. Now the Getty Center stands perched at the top of a ridge in the Santa Monica mountains like some lofty metropolitan goal, finally attainable -- at least for a few hours of tranquil wandering. The concept of an ascent into paradise is heightened by the fact that the public cannot drive all the way to the center, itself. Parking is done in the hills below, and a tram system carries visitors up to the reception area. From there it is a further climb up a grand stairway to the museums. The Getty Center is a miniature city unto itself with winding pathways, fountains, manicured gardens and greenspaces, panoramic views from the ocean to the mountains, and a collection of building that while distinct from each other are presented in harmony. This miniature city was designed to be, itself, a work of art and be symbolic of the community that hosts it. The grand cactus garden is in the museum's southern extreme, and represents the deserts which lie to the south and east of Los Angeles. The variety of cacti in the garden reflect the diversity of the Los Angeles basin. The manuscripts building has an ivy-covered wall to pay homage to the earliest texts which were often illuminated with ivy and other drawings. The museum's permanent collection is kept in five pavilions surrounding a common space. There are a total of six buildings including a library, and an auditorium. Uncommonly, it is the landscape architecture that often has people rapt. Robert Irwin, among others, used native species in an artistic arrangement that has been attempted but never quite worked in other public places.
1983 - The J. Paul Getty Trust buys the land for the Getty Center.
1989 - Groundbreaking.
1996 - Getty Center offices occupied.
December, 1997 - Getty Center opens to the public.
"We hope that its visibility from many parts of the city will serve as a magnet for visitors and as a reminder of the vital role the arts can play in our lives. We intend for it to attract and serve a broad public--people from Los Angeles and from around the world, young and old, who will come there to enjoy and study art and cultural heritage in an inspiring and stimulating setting."
- Harold M. Williams
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