San Francisco is on the verge of demolishing one of its most iconic, bizarre, and beloved pieces of public art: the Vaillancourt Fountain, a massive Brutalist sculpture that has stood at the Embarcadero since 1971.

Yes — it’s been called ugly. Yes — it’s polarizing. But that’s exactly what makes it worth saving.

The city plans to remove the fountain as part of a $35 million plaza redesign, calling it a “design constraint.” But to many residents, artists, skaters, and longtime locals, the fountain is a symbol of San Francisco’s bold, weird, unapologetic past — a concrete reminder that public art doesn’t have to be beautiful to be meaningful.

We, the undersigned, call on the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the SF Arts Commission, and the Board of Supervisors to:

• Cancel demolition plans for the Vaillancourt Fountain
• Restore or creatively repurpose the sculpture while preserving its form and public presence
• Recognize it as a cultural landmark that represents a unique chapter in the city’s artistic and architectural history.

Created by Canadian sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, now 96 years old, the fountain once pumped 30,000 gallons of water a minute and served as a backdrop for protests, concerts, and skateboarding. U2’s Bono spray-painted a message on it during a 1987 performance. In the 1990s, it became a skateboarding mecca. Today, despite neglect, its concrete pipes still spark debate, nostalgia, and pride.

Vaillancourt himself has spoken out: “It’s going to be the shame of the city of San Francisco if they demolish it.”

He’s right.

In a city that too often erases its own eccentric spirit in the name of development, saving the Vaillancourt Fountain is about more than art — it’s about identity, memory, and civic courage.

Sign now to stop the demolition and protect this irreplaceable piece of San Francisco’s weird and wonderful history.