When Richard Meier & Partners designed the Getty Center, they enveloped the campus with a ubiquitous 30-inch grid and specified a rigorous palette of stone and metal panels to define the elegant curvilinear and rectilinear forms of the buildings and plazas.  The Getty Conservation Institute’s science laboratories within the Getty Center were purpose-built for the materials research being done at the time. With the passage of 40 years, the technology of conservation science and research practiced by the brilliant scientists there had evolved substantially enough to justify a complete renovation of their 20,000 SF suite spread over two floors of the East Building and a corner of the Museum building.

Samuel Anderson Architects was asked to design fresh new spaces to accommodate the scientists and their wide variety of instruments and equipment, including everything from a Nano-Indenter and Scanning Electron Microscope to walk-in- environmental chambers.  We were asked to do so with design and finish qualites commensurate with Meier’s original vision.  To achieve this, we engaged intensively with the scientists and staff in each department (Technical Studies, Preventive Conservation, Built Heritage Research, Materials Characterization and Modern Materials Research) as well as with the Campus Architect and Director of Facilities. 

The new configurations place radial workstations along the cylindrical exterior walls, opening up the spaces to better facilitate interaction amongst scientists, and designating more rational yet flexible spaces for dense banks of scientific instruments.  Public visibility and engagement were built into the design with increased views into and between labs, as well as visitor tour paths. Wood was introduced in the office suite to enliven those spaces for staff, meeting rooms and visiting scholars and fellows.  The renovation provides all new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, IT, and fire safety systems, as well as sophisticated LED lighting. 

Client: The  Getty Conservation Institute of the J. Paul Getty Trust.
Design Team: Mandi Lew, Alexa Baker, Shantanu Bhalla (SAA), Englekirk Institutional, Inc. (Structural), ACCO Engineered Systems (Mechanical), Nikolakopulos, Inc. (Electrical), K2D Consulting Engineers (Plumbing), Buro Happold (Low Voltage & IT), Jeffrey Nash Lighting Design, Jensen Hughes (Code Consultant), Coastal Safety (Environmental Health + Safety), & Acoustic Distinctions (Acoustical).

Builder: Rudolph & Sletten
Owner’s Representation: Elaine Nesbit, Project Manager
Photographs: Photo: Andy Wang. © 2025 J Paul Getty Trust.