Crews in San Francisco are dismantling one of many metropolis’s most controversial landmarks, the Vaillancourt Fountain, an enormous concrete sculpture that has stood alongside the waterfront for greater than 50 years.
Created by Quebec artist Armand Vaillancourt, the summary brutalist construction has loomed over the positioning since 1971, drawing each reward and criticism over the many years.
For the artist and his household, the elimination is deeply private. Vaillancourt’s son, Alexis Vaillancourt, stated they discovered the fountain was not included in renovation plans for the park by likelihood.
Building crews start to dismantle the Vaillancourt Fountain on the Embarcadero Plaza, Monday, April 27, 2026, in San Francisco.
(Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle through AP)
“My sister lives in California, she despatched us one of many articles with the plan, and the fountain wasn’t there,” he stated.
Now 96, Armand Vaillancourt considers the piece a very powerful work of his profession. His son stated the household had adopted the long-running debate over the fountain’s future and had braced for the potential for its elimination, however they are saying the truth has nonetheless been tough.
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“To see the picture of employees drilling.. I noticed that earlier than going to sleep a few days in the past,” Alexis Vaillancourt informed World Information. “I took a second. It was not simple.”
Supporters have lengthy argued the fountain is a daring instance of modernist public artwork, reflecting the futuristic architectural traits of its time. Critics, nonetheless, have described it as harsh and misplaced on the waterfront.
Regardless of the divided opinions, the construction grew to become a cultural landmark, internet hosting punk live shows, attracting skate boarders and even showing in video video games. It was additionally famously spray-painted by Bono.
Metropolis officers say the fountain had deteriorated to the purpose of changing into a security danger, with repairs anticipated to value hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.
Jackie Fielder, who serves as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was blunt in her evaluation. “Now it is a fairly ugly fountain, I feel everybody can agree on that,” Fielder stated.
Following a chronic authorized battle, town agreed to dismantle slightly than demolish the construction.
It will likely be saved for as much as three years whereas officers discover whether or not it may be repurposed elsewhere.
