#vaillancourt-fountain

#vaillancourt-fountain

A 15-month-long controversy over the possible removal of the brutalist Vaillancourt Fountain is over for now, as the SF Arts Commission just voted 8-5 to take it down, though they say it will be put into storage and it could possibly be rebuilt. It created some waves July 2024 when SF city officials presented a proposed redesign for the Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park and that design did not include the Vaillancourt Fountain that's been there since 1971.

Many have called the hulking Brutalist fountain at Embarcardero Plaza "maligned" and even "ugly," but artist Armand Vaillancourt's sculptural work still has many ardent fans who will not be pleased by the lastest move by SF Rec & Parks to remove it in short order. It's been two months since San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department submitted its formal request to have the Vaillancourt Fountain removed, seeking the SF Arts Commission's approval for deaccession of the artwork for various reasons, including public safety.