Explore virtually - Brick Plaza

Walk across the official stage for San Francisco’s biggest moments, from rock concerts to demonstrations.

Title
Brick Plaza
Key dates

Created: 1972

Installed: 1972

Designer(s)
Lawrence Halprin

Overview

You’re standing on the grand stage of San Francisco’s waterfront. This vast, patterned brick plaza was designed by legendary landscape architect Lawrence Halprin as the heart of a massive urban project. The geometric brickwork isn’t random; it’s a deliberate design meant to be a versatile public space.

For decades, this brick plaza has been the city’s living room, hosting everything from massive protests and political rallies to historic skateboarding moments, concerts, and annual ice skating. Every brick under your feet has a story to tell about the city’s vibrant, and often turbulent, public life.

Key details

  • Design by: Lawrence Halprin
  • Style: Urban, geometric, hardscape, Late Modernist
  • Materials: Red brick and concrete
  • Owned by: San Francisco
  • Funded by: San Francisco
  • Maintained by: San Francisco, BXP (Boston Properties)

More stops on the virtual tour

Vaillancourt Fountain

This Brutalist fountain, designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt, has been the iconic, world-renowed centerpiece of Embarcadero Plaza since 1971.

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La Chiffonnière

Installed in Embarcadero Plaza in 1981, French artist Jean Dubuffet’s Art Brut sculpture La Chiffonnière (“Rag Woman”) stands strikingly tall.

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