A tale of two Getty's (the Villa and the Center) over Los Angeles

plinko · #1 Posted **Dec 6, 2009, 11:07 AM**

Los Angeles is home to a number of world class museums, and two of them were granted to the city via trust by oil magnate J. Paul Getty. I happened to have visited both in the last month. Both museums are free admission, but charge $15 to park (you can take the bus to either, but it isn't terribly convenient).

The first (and lesser known) is the Getty Villa, a large but rather compact complex of buildings perched on the Palisades overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway. The site was Getty's home, where he built a gallery and later museum to house his extensive collection of Roman & Etruscan art. The recently renovated and reopened museum (closed from 2000-2006) hosts a large variety of sculpture, statues, frescoes and tilework from the period. The original and later museum buildings (pre-renovation) were all built in a neo-romanesque style. The extensive renovation added a completely buried parking garage and a number of more modern buildings. The use of landscaping and clever detailing on the new buildings assures that they fit with the overall feel of the campus.

The Getty Villa

uh? downtown for dinner...

New dessert place downtown...mmm...waffles...

Tore it up...

With over $700 million left in a trust and alot of art to display, the Getty embarked on a huge building program in the mid 1980's to establish the Getty Center, a giant sprawling complex for the research, display and study of all kinds of art, perched high on the hill overlooking Brentwood and the 405. Designed by Richard Meier, the buildings are decidedly modern, but again with clever detailing and design that reveals alot of classical influence. Designed with an entire entry sequence in mind (complete with a rubber-wheeled tram going up the hillside) the complex reads more like a college campus than museum. Nonetheless, Meier and the landscape designers took every advantage they could of the promonotory location of the site.

The first time I was at the Getty Center in 2000 (the year it opened), I was kind of underwhelmed. It's taken a number of trips (probably a half dozen) to really see alot of the subtle design characteristics of the place. And oh yeah...the art isn't bad either...

The Getty Center

A little stop in Santa Monica as a bonus...

Extra bonus...the gorgeous Pasadena City Hall...

SLO · #2 Posted **Dec 6, 2009, 3:11 PM**

Like it. What a great excursion for you from SB. I liked how you framed the Wilshire/CC shots from Getty.....

dktshb · #3 Posted **Dec 6, 2009, 5:21 PM**

Great shots! I have never been to the Villa but would like to check it out some day.

LosAngelesSportsFan · #4 Posted **Dec 6, 2009, 6:49 PM**

Fantastic! i haven't been to the villa yet, and i need to change that ASAP! and Pasadena's city hall is just amazing.

glowrock · #5 Posted **Dec 7, 2009, 1:48 AM**

+1 for having to visit the Getty Villa! The Getty Center at the top of the hill is awesome, but it's more for the architecture than the artwork itself, quite frankly. The campus is stunning, but the artwork itself isn't quite my style...

Aaron (Glowrock)

JManc · #6 Posted **Dec 7, 2009, 3:46 AM**

nice work plinko.

Robert Pence · #7 Posted **Dec 7, 2009, 4:53 AM**

Wonderful photos of some amazing architecture! I couldn't help noticing the resemblance of parts of the Getty Center to Meier's much smaller-scale 1979 Athenaeum, in historic New Harmony, Indiana:

yerfdog · #8 Posted **Dec 7, 2009, 5:22 AM**

Never been to the Getty Villa, I was just talking with someone about how I nee dot go there. It's great to see some nice shots of it. The Getty Center is one of my favorite museums, simply for the amazing grounds.

ChrisLA · #9 Posted **Dec 7, 2009, 5:30 AM**

I've never been to the Getty Villa either, and would love to go. Once my work schedule changes early next year, I told my wife we will be going a lot more to places like this in LA. There is such a wealth of cultural activities to see and do around this city, that one could never get bored living here.

Thanks for sharing.

OneMetropolis · #10 Posted **Dec 11, 2009, 4:23 AM**

beautifull

LosAngelesBeauty · #11 Posted **Dec 11, 2009, 9:18 AM**

I've been to the Getty Villa twice now and I have to say it's on such beautiful grounds and the setting in Malibu just makes it that much more beautiful.

LA is just a cultural hot pot.

And of course, I have to say those Pasadena City Hall shots are quite the eye pleasers

atlantaguy · #12 Posted **Dec 11, 2009, 3:17 PM**

Absolutely beautiful, artful shots plinko!

We had a time slot for the Villa last Labor Day, but drank too much at Topanga Country Days and slept in. Won't be making that mistake again!

I agree re: the art at the Getty, but the architecture and landscaping do it for me.

Thanks for sharing.

LAsam · #13 Posted **Dec 11, 2009, 6:52 PM**

I guess I'm one of the proud few forumers who've visited the Villa and can say that it's well worth the visit. The Getty Villa and Center are two wonderful cultural icons for LA.

zeroyxp · #14 Posted **Apr 24, 2013, 1:51 PM**

a

ColDayMan · #15 Posted **Apr 25, 2013, 2:25 AM**

I love love love Pasadena's City Hall!