As promised here are some random notes on hardscape details at the Getty Museum that I found pretty cool.
Travertine checks and randomness
The travertine tiles that make up most of the outdoor paving are laid out in a fairly random pattern…except for this checkerboard spot near the front entrance. I liked how the little pocket of order suddenly dissolves into randomness.
Large and small travertine tiles
And here large tiles contrast with smaller ones. By including a number of smaller, darker tiles at the edge of the transition, you notice the difference in scale more than if the were uniformly the same color.
Grassus interruptus
I liked the spikes of walkway interrupting the green plane of the lawn. Even on a smaller scale this could be fun in a location where you could view it from above.
Sharp and natural edges
Okay, this next detail is probably beyond the scope of your average DIYer, but I liked the contrast of smooth and raw, machined and natural. In this case the saw-cut stone by the walkway contrasts beautifully with its rougher edges.
Horizontal fountain
And this one, too, might be a little unrealistic for my back yard, but I really liked it. This is a big pedestal that was built for a Henry Moore’s sculpture, Bronze Form. The base is a wide slab that’s been travertine-tiled. A water source on top provides a shallow sheet of water, maybe about a quarter-inch deep, that crosses the top of the base and disappears into a groove at the edge. I thought of it something like a sideways fountain, with water going horizontally instead of straight up…
August 29 2008 05:23 am | Categories: landscape design | Tags: hardscape • J. Paul Getty Museum • travertine • water features
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