vaillancourt fountain will be dismantled san francisco 1234760284

The San Francisco Arts Commission board of directors voted eight to five on November 3 to dismantle the controversial Vaillancourt Fountain, a brutalist concrete sculpture by Armand Vaillancourt at Embarcadero Plaza. The city's recreation and parks department plans to spend $4.4 million on a disassembly consultant to take apart the fountain and store its pieces for three years, citing disrepair and safety hazards including corrosion, asbestos, and lead hazards. Critics, including the Cultural Landscape Foundation, dispute these claims, arguing the city deliberately neglected maintenance to justify removal.