The J. Paul Getty Trust has announced that the Getty Villa in Malibu, Calif. will open its gates on Jan. 28.

The Pasadena landscape architecture firm Korn Randolph Inc. is working to have the grounds green and established by opening day.

The Malibu site is a recreation of the Villa of the Papyri, a Roman country home buried in the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The Malibu gardens are based on research by noted landscape architect Denis Kurutz in the early 1970s. Kurutz relied on multiple sources in producing the design, including the writings of Pliny the Younger, who kept detailed records on his own gardening projects. Kurutz died in February of 2003.

Korn Randolph Inc. has completed designs that will renovate some of the villa’s existing features and add some new ones, partner Amy Korn told landscapearchitect.com.

Plans for the reopening of the Villa have been clouded by controversy. Trust President and Chief Executive Barry Munitz’s management style and financial expenditures are under scrutiny. Marion True, the Getty’s longtime curator of antiquities and coordinator of Villa programs, awaits trial in Rome accused of conspiring to traffic in looted art.

But the Villa has long since established itself as a cultural landmark and popular destination, and the troubles are unlikely to stem the tide of visitors.

Among new features are a 250-seat auditorium, a 450-seat outdoor theater and more space for staff and scholars, including conservation laboratories and additional parking.

More info: www.getty.edu

Source: Los Angeles Times