PAUL GETTY MUSEUM (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

J. Paul Getty Museum, museum and research centre established by oil tycoon J.

Paul Getty as a home for his collections of artworks. It comprises two locations in Los
Angeles: the Getty Villa and the Getty Center. The former houses a collection of
antiquities, while the latter exhibits European art and international photography.

The original museum opened in 1954 and occupied a wing added to

Getty’s ranch house in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. His collections
eventually outgrew that location, however, so in 1974 they were moved to a new
building nearby. This museum, known as the Getty Villa, was a lavish re-creation of the
Villa of the Papyri, an ancient Roman home uncovered at Herculaneum.

On Getty’s death (1976) the museum became the most richly endowed in the
world. After years of planning, the Getty Center (commonly called the Getty), a larger,
six-building complex designed by Richard Meier in the Brentwood neighbourhood,
opened with great publicity in 1997. The museum at the Getty became the home for J.
Paul Getty’s collection of European paintings, sculpture,
drawings, illuminated manuscripts, and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the 20th
century. It also has international photographs that date from the late 1830s to the
present. The collections reflect his preference for paintings of the Renaissance
and Baroque periods and for French furniture. The Getty also accommodates the Getty
Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation.

The Getty Villa was closed for renovation in 1997 and reopened in 2006 with a
design by the Boston-based architects Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti. It became
home to a research centre and Getty’s collection of ancient Greek, Roman,
and Etruscan art. In 2018 the collection was reinstalled chronologically after decades of
being displayed thematically.
 DISPLAY WINDOW / SHOWROOM

Designed to attract customers to a store, window displays are described by Wikipedia as

the dressing of larger windows in the front facade of a shop. The most basic meaning of a
window display is that a window display is the arrangement of items in a way that, as Wikipedia
rightly point out, attracts customers. 
The importance of window displays couldn’t be more apparent, following reports of the
high street delivering its worst performance in 12 years.This isn’t to say that physical retail is
ineffective, as brands such as Misguided are evolving from purely online to a combined
approach that includes physical stores.However it does mean that window displays have more
work to do than ever before, convincing customers that they should buy the products on display
before whipping out their phone to search for an alternative while they’re still in the store. A
whopping 60% of shoppers do this according to the PEW Research Centre, which further
highlights the importance of window displays. So how are retailers using window displays to
attract and convert shoppers? If we look at the Dalziel & Pow-designed Missguided flagship,
they have expertly integrated social interaction into animated screens, which not only provided
animation, but also provide relevant, up-to-date and contextual messaging for the customer.
The different types of window displays

1. Open back window display

Often used in fashion retail, open back window displays don’t enclose the window space at all, with
products on show (usually mannequins) whilst also allowing the shopper to see the rest of the store.

This can be particularly effective in well-designed store environments, as it provides a glimpse into the
interior. However it also means that the store needs to be attractive at all times!

2. Closed Window Display

A closed window display blocks the rest of the store off from being viewed by shoppers, putting full
focus on the products. This is becoming the norm throughout many areas of retail due to the nature of
improved methods of illuminating graphics and capturing attention.

3. Partially Closed Windows

As the name suggests, retailers use this technique to keep the store environment on view for the
shopper, alongside providing a small section of wall space that is usually used to provide focus on a
featured product.

4. Island Window Display

Traditionally reserved for arcades and in-store displays, island window displays are visible from all sides
which allows shoppers to see products in detail. There is a particularly emphasis on lighting with Island
Window Displays, as this needs to overcome ambient lighting in the surrounding area.

5. Arcade Window Display

Arcade windows are often pre-determined spaces, with an area either side of a door, that turns into a
concave panel as customers reach the middle of your window. This is an area where visual
merchandising teams need to be more creative, as displays are often governed by store or centre
management, and have very limited space to work in.

6. Showcase & Elevated Window Display

Usually reserved for jewellery and high-value items, showcase window displays often block the bottom
third of the window off, in exchange for a table that displays the items above. This provides added
storage for the business but also means graphics can be applied to direct attention upwards.

7. Corner window display

Corner windows offer retailers the most opportunity to communicate a story, as shoppers walk around
the outside of the store. This can result in more imaginative displays, that keep attention focused on the
window for more than just a momentary glance.

8. Shadowbox Window Display

Shadowbox window displays are particularly useful for high-end jewellery, as they usually block out an
entire window other than a particular section that has a featured product within it.
 PAUL GETTY MUSEUM
The Getty is the legacy of the businessman and art collector J. Paul Getty, and
his view that art is a civilizing influence in society. Throughout his adult life, he took
greater and greater steps to make art available for the public’s education and
enjoyment. Starting in 1948, he gave significant pieces from his personal collection to
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 1953, he established the J. Paul Getty
Museum Trust. The following year the J. Paul Getty Museum opened in his ranch house
in Malibu (today, Pacific Palisades).

Mr. Getty died in 1976, with most of his personal estate passing to the Trust in 1982.
Drawing upon the vision Mr. Getty articulated in the Trust Indenture, the Trustees
sought to make a greater contribution to the visual arts by expanding the Museum and
its collections, and creating a range of new programs to serve the world of art.
Reflecting this expanded mission, the Trust’s name was legally changed to the J. Paul
Getty Trust in 1983.

Mr. Getty's philanthropy enabled the construction of the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades
and the Getty Center in Brentwood, the expansion of the collections of the Museum,
and the creation of the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, and
the Getty Foundation. With the Trust, these programs constitute "the Getty."

J. Paul Getty’s will turned his small namesake museum into the wealthiest art museum
in the world. Charged with carrying out Getty’s wishes that the Trust provide for “the
diffusion of artistic and general knowledge,” the Board of Trustees embarked on years
of research and deliberation to lay the foundation for an institution that aimed to serve
all facets of the art world.
The Board approved the development of additional museum exhibition facilities and
new programs in 1982. It also approved the search for a new site upon which they
would be located.

The Trust felt it vital that a shared campus would foster collaboration. After considering
several possible sites across Los Angeles, in September 1983 the Trust purchased a
110-acre hilltop site in the Santa Monica Mountains. The location and its topography
would both inspire and control the development and design of the Getty Center.

In October 1984, following an international search, the Trust hired the New York-based
architect Richard Meier to design the Getty Center. He was chosen for his proven skill in
the design of museums, his understanding of the site and materials, his passion for art
and books, and his commitment to establishing a Los Angeles office.

The Los Angeles Planning Commission approved the site master plan in 1987. Among
its stipulations were height limitations that required more than half of the built area of
the Getty Center to be placed below the hilltop level. An iterative design process
produced a final plan that was approved in the spring of 1991.

Meier’s plan included a concept for a Central Garden, but the Trust decided to pursue
something that was a work of art in itself rather than simply a landscape feature. The
garden presented an opportunity to incorporate an aesthetic sensibility into the Getty
Center that would contrast with the geometric forms of Meier’s classic modernism and
enrich the visitor experience. In 1992, the Trust commissioned artist Robert Irwin to
create a site-specific artwork. Responding to Meier’s architecture and the building site,
Irwin developed a garden plan that includes a zigzag walkway, water features, and
plantings intended to provide a rich sensory experience and highlight the ever-changing
nature of this artwork.

Site preparation for the Getty Center began in 1987 and construction continued for the
next 10 years. Nearly 300,000 pieces of travertine—a distinctive element of the Center
—were quarried from Bagni di Tivoli, Italy and installed as building cladding or paving.
Upon completion, almost a million square feet of buildings spread across the site—the
majority of which is underground.

Getty staff and programs began to move into the Getty Center in 1996. The Getty
Center opened to the public with much fanfare on December 16, 1997.

In late 1995, the Getty Trust announced a new, expanded mission for the Getty Villa in
Malibu “as a center devoted to the display, conservation, and interpretation of ancient
art in the broadest sense and as a branch of the Getty that promotes a deeper
understanding of, and critical appreciation for, comparative archaeology and culture.”

The Getty Villa closed on July 6, 1997 for renovations. While the museum building
retained its original design, architects Machado and Silvetti made various changes to
the site, including moving the main entrance, installing windows and skylights in the
upper galleries, and adding 76,000 square feet of surrounding structures, including new
parking, an entry pavilion, and a classical outdoor theater. It also became home to a
new Master’s Program on the Conservation of Ethnographic and Archaeological
Materials, a cooperative effort between the Getty Conservation Institute and the UCLA
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.

The Getty Villa reopened to the public on January 28, 2006.

 DISPLAY WINDOW
Introduction

Window display is the fine art of displaying store merchandise in the store window.
Window display is emerging as the new mantra in retail and is fast changing from a
dull, uninteresting exhibition of wares in the store window to a dynamic form of
advertising. Retailers are recognizing the importance of window display as the first point
of contact between the store and the customer and a chance to create the most critical
first impression on the customer. Developed countries look at window display as a
critical tool of marketing; however, in India, it is still an emerging concept.

Importance of window display

Window display is more than just a display of wares. It is a unique form of advertising.
As stated earlier, it is the first contact point between the store and the customer. It
defines the store and gives an idea of what the store is all about to the customer. It
determines whether the customer will walk into the store or walk away from it. It is an
effective tool to use when the image of the store needs to be changed. Window display
can be used as a means to portray seasonal merchandise. Window display can convey
what age group or income group of customers the store caters to.

With the rising level of economic growth in the country, the level of disposable income
of the customers is rising. This has, in turn, led to tough competition among the
retailers. In this cut-throat competition, those retailers win who are able to attract and
sustain the attention of the customers. Unique and effective window displays play an
important role in this regard. It is essential for all kinds of stores in the modern times,
ranging from the smallest to the largest.

Done properly, window display can attract more customers than a hoarding or a
television advertisement. Moreover, it can attract the right kind of customers. In other
words, window display acts as a filter. Only those customers enter the store who have a
fair idea of what products it stocks and are interested in buying them. A lot of time and
energy of the salesmen is saved as they need not concentrate on customers who might
not be potential buyers.

Window display makes the decision making process of the customer rather simple.
Based on the window display, the customer can easily decide whether he wants to
enter the store or not. Hence, window display also helps the customer by preventing
unnecessary consumption of energy and time. There is no substantive evidence to
indicate that window display leads to an increase in sales. However, a number of cases
have been noted wherein customers have undertaken impulse buying under the
influence of attractive window display.

Creativity plays a very important role in window dressing, but at the same time,
business acumen is also required in order to make it effective. The window display
should be designed in a way that attracts customers, rather than looking like a piece of
art. The window display designer should design the window in the best way possible
within the budget fixed for the same by the retailer. Retailers in developed countries
spend large amounts on window displays, but Indian retailers lag behind in this respect.

Emerging trends

Window designers are now experimenting with concepts to try to attract and hold the
attention of the customers. One of these concepts is the use of smell. In biscuit and
cake shops, the windows are linked to nearby bakeries through pipelines. Whenever a
customer looks at the window display, the fragrance of fresh bakery products is
released. Similarly, apparel retailers are also making use of the fragrance of freshly
laundered clothes in designing window displays. Some retailers are making use of
motion to attract customers.

As more and more retailers are realizing the importance of window display, a new class
of professionals called window display designers have come into existence. These
professionals work full-time with large business houses, while they work on a
contractual basis with small firms. The work of a window display designer requires a lot
of creativity and a good aesthetic sense as well as patience, hard work and a fair idea
of market trends and customer behavior. Moreover, they should also possess a good
flair for communication as they are required to communicate extensively with store
managers and owners regarding the image they wish to portray through the store.
Knowledge of fields such as graphic design, fine arts, construction, carpentry,
architecture and lighting is an added advantage for a window display designer.
 Conclusion

Window display is being largely accepted as a marketing tool for attracting potential
customers, though it is still an emerging concept in India and other developing
countries. An expert window display designer can make the window display more
effective than any form of advertisement. The following suggestions can be made to
increase the effectiveness of window display:

1. Instead of a haphazard arrangement of products, a window display would be

more effective if it is based on a certain theme.
2. A simple and uncluttered display would be much more effective and would be
more aesthetically appealing as compared to a cluttered one.
3. The display should be changed from time to time so as to avoid monotony.
4. Bright lights can be made use of to make the display effective. Individual items
in the display can be highlighted using separate lights, which would help in making the
display more forceful.
5. Proper color and shape co-ordination would go a long way towards increasing
the attractiveness of the window display.
6. The window display should be properly matched with the other displays inside
the store. Moreover, it should be representative of the wares in the store.