The Brutalist Embarcadero Fountain Some Love, Many Hate

About this episode

This episode explores the controversial history and current status of the Vaillancourt Fountain in San Francisco.

Since it was first unveiled in 1971, the 710-ton brutalist-style Vaillancourt Fountain has been a divisive piece of public art. The tangle of concrete square tubes once fit in seamlessly with the Embarcadero Freeway, a double-decker road which once ran right next to it. But nowadays it stands out against the charming waterfront. On today's episode, we explore the life of this piece of public art, which is currently being taken down by the city. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katie DeBenedetti. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Olivia Allen-Price

Topics covered

• public art
• Brutalism
• urban design
• San Francisco
• Embarcadero
• cultural debate

Keywords

• Vaillancourt Fountain
• Brutalist art
• public art
• San Francisco
• Embarcadero Freeway
• urban art
• cultural significance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: KQED

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