Getty Center Transformation

The Getty Center Transformation is the most significant series of improvements to the J. Paul Getty Trust's Brentwood campus since Richard Meier's travertine acropolis opened above the 405 Freeway. Gehry Partners reimagines the Lower Tram Station, the point where every visit begins, beneath a parametric glass canopy that shelters the staging area at the base of the hillside, reorganizing circulation and security screening to relieve congestion and give arrival a clearer sense of ceremony. Landscape architects OLIN thread planted terraces, a sheltered stairway, outdoor sculpture and contemporary art commissions, a garden cafe and a new retail space through the arrival zone. At the top of the hill, WHY Architecture rebuilds the Welcome Hall around a large orientation screen and desk, an expanded bookstore and a full-service cafe. The funicular tram that has carried millions of visitors up the ridge is replaced entirely with a new system by Doppelmayr, and the campus receives upgraded HVAC and gallery systems for improved energy efficiency and collection care. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades stays open with special exhibitions while the hilltop campus is closed.