If the Parthenon had been built in Brentwood, pressure from the neighbors might have forced the architect to scale down all those columns, lose the white marble and make the place less aggressively Doric. Why the Getty chose its lofty perch, instead of some sea-level setting in the thick of L.A. life, will also be debated for years to come. But never before have neighbors had such a heavy hand in designing an international treasure. That's because the site, visible to wealthy Brentwood homeowners, came with a conditional-use permit, the terms of which were negotiated in long, often rancorous community meetings. No one ever said the Getty Center should be only one thing.
Time does fly.
The new Getty Center is a dreamscape with a calm. Up here, time pauses for breath. All rights reserved.