Dismantling of Vaillancourt Fountain Begins in San Francisco

Construction workers have begun dismantling the Vaillancourt Fountain, a 710-ton Brutalist concrete sculpture by Armand Vaillancourt in San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza, designed by Lawrence Halprin. The $4 million removal process started on April 27, 2026, with workers wearing protective gear due to asbestos and lead. The 96-year-old artist and his family expressed distress over the deconstruction. The San Francisco Arts Commission approved the removal in November 2025, and an appeal was filed on December 1. In February 2026, preservation coalition Friends of the Plaza filed a lawsuit to keep the fountain in situ, followed by another appeal in April. The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) noted the storage period is limited to three years. City officials have shared five designs for the reenvisioned plaza, combining it with South Embarcadero and Sue Bierman Park. Friends of the Plaza, represented by environmental attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley, includes TCLF, Vaillancourt family, Docomomo US, and Docomomo US/Northern California. Docomomo US executive director Liz Waytkus criticized the relocation as politically motivated destruction. The removal will occur in phases over several months.