Travertine: From Hot Springs To Brentwood The Stone Stands Bright
A structure tells a story whether the Architect and builders intend for it or not. Across the ages one can look at buildings and determine the value a society placed on the structure or institution. It used to be that castles where the biggest and most dramatic buildings. Churches and monasteries had their turn. Today many of the tallest and most dominating structures belong to banks and other financial institutions. Often the materials used are also informative. Some buildings are built for utilitarian ends, the materials basic and budget worthy. Other buildings have something to say. Stone tile and travertine tile offer a sense of timeless elegance. Few structures have used travertine as effectively as the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
Travertine is a sedimentary rock. It is formed by geothermal activity and consists of carbonate minerals. In essence it is a limestone and is fairly porous. Water travels through the limestone dissolving the carbonate. The mineral rich liquid seeps to the surface where it evaporates leaving behind deposits of either aragonite or calcite. The mineral residues continue to build up into sediment. The accumulation becomes travertine. The creation of travertine is dependent on temperature and CO2 levels. This is why travertine is located near geothermal hot springs. A Travertine surface has pores and fossils that give it character.
The Getty Center in Brentwood took time to develop. It was constructed on two canyon crests above the 405 overlooking the Los Angeles Basin. There was opposition to the project because it was one of the the few unscarred mountains surrounding L.A. being destroyed. Today, many of the original critics are supporters of the project. The Getty Center is accessible to the public. It is an elegant homage to old castles. The Getty Center is a public private retreat. The building and grounds are as impressive as the art housed within. One of the enchanting elements of the project is the use of travertine as a primary theme.
The travertine blocks are rough and contain crystalline deposits and fossils. They hold the shadows of the sun as it moves through the day. The project made use of 1.2 million square feet of Travertine. The travertine used weighs 16,000 tons. The rock was cleft-cut from quarries in Bagni di Tivoli, 15 miles outside of Rome. Great care was taken to preserve the fossilized plants and feather sections. The white amber stone is a perfect match for the California sun. Around noon the Getty Center shines bright on the hill. As the sun softens, the light enhances the amber shades, and the rocks glow red with the setting of the sun.
The Getty Center employees travertine to its best effect in a bold and spectacular way. These geothermal sedimental rocks seem to grant the same kind of peace one might have achieved sitting in the springs near which they came.
Connor R. Sullivan and his wife chose to redo their bathroom with elegant travertine tile. He and his wife recently redid their foyer with stone tile.
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