The Getty Center will temporarily close to the public for a year while it undertakes the “most significant series of modernisation initiatives” since its 1997 opening.
Due to close in March next year until spring 2028, the campus of the Getty Museum and other Getty Trust programs will reopen in time for Los Angeles to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, having completed major enhancements.
The refurbishment is designed to “elevate the overall visitor experience”, alongside enhancing accessibility and energy resilience with an idea to “support the long-term stewardship” of the Getty’s campus, which welcomed 1.3 million visitors last year.
Among the planned renovations, estimated by the Los Angeles Times to cost between $600 and $800 million, will be an upgraded tram system, redesigning the way the Getty’s site on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains is reached.
The institution is also promising “new ways to connect with art”, including revitalised galleries, artist commissions and experiences that bring art in dialogue with nature.
The first phase of improvements has already begun at the centre, with some galleries now closed to upgrade the campus’ heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
These are set to improve the Getty’s energy efficiency alongside following best practices related to collections environments, which it recently pledged to adopt alongside other leading international cultural institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The Welcome Hall will be renovated and boosted by a new cafe-bookshop and shop and more general improvements will be undertaken, such as to phone service and wi-fi connectivity across the campus.
A ‘more accessible, resilient, and dynamic campus’
During the closure, the Getty plans to continue collaborating on programmes with partners across Los Angeles, the US and internationally.
The museum has also purchased a new building nearby on Sepulveda Boulevard where it will continue to host a mixture of public programming, including family festivals and lecture series.
President and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust Katherine E Fleming said the Getty is “embarking on an exciting new chapter”.
She said: “Our mission has always been to make art accessible to our Los Angeles community and visitors from around the world.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors back in spring 2028, in time to celebrate the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and experience our more accessible, resilient, and dynamic campus.”
In the meantime, the Getty Villa, situated in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles about 10 miles away, will remain open.