Crews in San Francisco are dismantling considered one of the town’s most controversial landmarks, the Vaillancourt Fountain, an enormous concrete sculpture that has stood along the waterfront for greater than 50 years.
Created by Quebec artist Armand Vaillancourt, the abstract brutalist structure has loomed over the positioning since 1971, drawing each praise and criticism over the many years.
For the artist and his family, the removal is deeply personal. Vaillancourt’s son, Alexis Vaillancourt, said they learned the fountain was not included in renovation plans for the park by likelihood.
Construction crews begin to dismantle the Vaillancourt Fountain on the Embarcadero Plaza, Monday, April 27, 2026, in San Francisco.
(Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
“My sister lives in California, she sent us considered one of the articles with the plan, and the fountain wasn’t there,” he said.
Now 96, Armand Vaillancourt considers the piece an important work of his profession. His son said the family had followed the long-running debate over the fountain’s future and had braced for the potential for its removal, but they are saying the truth has still been difficult.
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“To see the image of staff drilling.. I saw that before going to sleep a few days ago,” Alexis Vaillancourt told Global News. “I took a moment. It was challenging.”
Supporters have long argued the fountain is a daring example of modernist public art, reflecting the futuristic architectural trends of its time. Critics, nevertheless, have described it as harsh and misplaced on the waterfront.
Despite the divided opinions, the structure became a cultural landmark, hosting punk concert events, attracting skateboarders and even appearing in video games. It was also famously spray-painted by Bono.
City officials say the fountain had deteriorated to the purpose of becoming a security risk, with repairs expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Jackie Fielder, who serves as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was blunt in her assessment. “Now this can be a pretty ugly fountain, I feel everyone can agree on that,” Fielder said.
Following a protracted legal battle, the town agreed to dismantle somewhat than demolish the structure.
It’ll be stored for up to 3 years while officials explore whether it could actually be repurposed elsewhere.
