Explore virtually - Vaillancourt Fountain
This Brutalist fountain, designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt, has been the iconic, world-renowed centerpiece of Embarcadero Plaza since 1971.
- Title
- Vaillancourt Fountain
- Key dates
Created: 1971
Installed: 1971
- Designer(s)
- Armand Vaillancourt
Explore in 3D
Overview
Step into a quintessential part of San Francisco’s past at the Vaillancourt Fountain. This colossal, sprawling, Brutalist concrete sculpture has been a controversial and unmissable landmark since its creation. Also known as Québec Libre!, its artist famously spray-painted the title on it during its own dedication ceremony. Composed of massive, hollow concrete tubes, it was designed as a “participatory” fountain, allowing people to walk through its passages and behind its waterfalls.
Though often dry today due to drought and deferred maintenance, its powerful, industrial presence is undeniable. Rock legend Bono of U2 famously spray-painted “Stop the Traffic, Rock and Roll” on the fountain during a free concert in 1987, cementing its place in pop culture history. Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it.
Key details
- Design by: Armand Vaillancourt
- Style: Brutalist, Late Modernist
- Materials: Precast concrete
- Height: 40 feet (12 m)
- Weight: Approximately 700 tons (1.4 million lbs, 700,000 kg)
- Area: 13,000 ft² (1,200 m²)
- Cost: $607,800 in 1971 (~$4.8 million in 2025 with inflation)
- Owned by: San Francisco
- Funded by: San Francisco
- Maintained by: San Francisco, BXP (Boston Properties)