How the world's most priceless artifacts are being protected from climate change
A boy stands in contrapposto, leaning his weight onto his right leg, one hand lifted to his head, as though to adjust his delicate olive wreath. His expression is noble and calm, the very picture of composed dignity. This bronze statue of this young Olympian is dated between 300–100 BC, one of the few life-sized Greek bronzes to have survived thousands of years into the 21st century. But in January 2025, the Statue of a Victorious Youth was nearly lost, consumed by the Palisades Fire, which roared through Los Angeles County destroying close to 7,000 structures.
Housed inside the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, Victorious Youth managed to survive. As the fire consumed thousands of structures, including the Getty’s immediate neighbors, the museum stood virtually untouched, the collection inside was undamaged.
“L.A. has almost all the disaster typologies,” explains Camille Kirk, sustainability director at Getty. “We even have hurricanes from time to time. The disasters we see are not purely climate change; they are exacerbated by climate change, but they are also part of the long human history of the place.”
When the Villa was built, it was constructed with this knowledge in mind. The building was designed to withstand earthquakes, fire, and flooding. It escaped the Palisades Fire because of its irrigation system, which was activated early on, and its double-walled construction, which kept the art safe from heat damage. Nor did smoke penetrate the galleries; special air handling systems were already in place to seal off each room. It wasn’t luck that saved the Victorious Youth. It was forethought.
As climate disasters become more frequent, institutions like the Getty and governments around the globe are having to grapple with the possibility that humanity’s great treasures could be damaged or destroyed despite their best efforts to protect them.