Embarcadero Plaza and Vaillancourt Fountain: The Brutalist Monument

Why is it significant?

Step into the wide, paved expanse of Embarcadero Plaza at the foot of Market Street and behold the colossal, twisting concrete forms of the Vaillancourt Fountain.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Step into the wide, paved expanse of Embarcadero Plaza at the foot of Market Street and behold the colossal, twisting concrete forms of the Vaillancourt Fountain. Dedicated in April 1971, this monumental Brutalist sculpture was created by French-Canadian artist Armand Vaillancourt under the formal title 'Quebec Libre'. Rising thirty-six feet high and spanning one hundred forty feet across, the fountain is composed of massive precast square concrete tubes intertwined in a jagged, chaotic geometric matrix, through which thirty thousand gallons of water pump and crash each minute.

Walk onto the concrete stepping stones laid directly through the fountain basin, allowing you to walk right underneath the roaring torrents of water. Vaillancourt designed the sculpture as an intentional aesthetic and political rebellion against the towering elevated Embarcadero Freeway, which ran directly overhead just feet from this plaza until it was damaged in the 1989 earthquake and torn down. By creating a sculpture of raw, industrial concrete tubes that mirrored the highway's scale, the artist confronted the city's urban alienation head-on.

The fountain has witnessed legendary moments of rock and political protest. On November 11, 1987, Irish rock band U2 performed an unannounced 'Save the Yuppies' free outdoor concert here before twenty thousand fans, during which lead singer Bono famously spray-painted 'Stop the Traffic, Rock and Roll' on the concrete tubes, sparking a heated city controversy. Generations of travelers, artists, and neighborhood residents have gathered at this very location, inspired by the unforgettable harmony where vibrant community memory meets bold architectural innovation. Generations of travelers, artists, and neighborhood residents have gathered at this very location, inspired by the unforgettable harmony where vibrant community memory meets bold architectural innovation.

Notice the dramatic framing of the historic Ferry Building clock tower rising just across the boulevard, marking the gateway to the bay.

Walk south along the waterfront promenade of Herb Caen Way toward Rincon Park to discover Cupid's Span.