Docomomo US/Northern California (Docomomo NOCA) has formally appealed the San Francisco Arts Commission’s approval of an emergency CEQA exemption regarding the proposed disassembly and removal of the Vaillancourt Fountain from Embarcadero Plaza. The appeal, filed by the Brandt-Hawley Law Group on behalf of Docomomo NOCA, asserts that the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (RPD) is using a pretextual “emergency” to bypass mandatory environmental review and public engagement for a pre-planned park renovation.

The Northern California (NOCA) Chapter of Docomomo US is pleased to announce Luke Leuschner as the recipient of the 2025 Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Travel Grant.

On November 8th, we were graced with beautiful East Bay sun during a perfect Bay Area autumn. The tour was led by Camila Baum board member of the Northern California chapter. There were five stops on this walking tour, we learned about Roger's early life, family life, career; and intersections of racial segregation and municipal zoning within the city of Berkeley.  Thank you to all who attended, we loved sharing the life and legacy of Roger Lee, FAIA.

San Francisco public art was not on the agenda at Monday’s hearing. Instead, the Arts Commission heard a narrative curated by the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department (SFRPD), and SF Arts Commissioners appeared not to question that SFRPD’s request to remove the Fountain was made in good faith. Key evidence in opposition to SFRPD’s narrative was shared by Docomomo US/NOCA and others during the public comment period that suggests a clear commitment from SFRPD to remove or demolish the fountain, and a desire to avoid the required CEQA review process that protects historic resources.

In a much anticipated decision, the San Francisco Planning Department reviewed the independently produced Historic Resource Review (HRR) of the Vaillancourt Fountain and concurred that the Fountain is a historic resource.

"Planning staff concurs that the Vaillancourt [Fountain] retains integrity and is a historic resource individually eligible for the National Register and CRHR [California Register] under Criterion 1 [Events] and 3 [Architecture], and as a contributing landscape feature of the Better Market Street Cultural District."

The fountain’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) triggers a mandatory review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a state law designed to protect historic and environmental treasures from destruction without public input and consideration of alternatives.

Speakers addressed the fountain’s irreplaceable significance as a Brutalist icon, a site of free speech, skateboarding history, Indigenous rights activism, San Francisco’s progressive spirit, and as an essential component of the California Register-listed Market Street Cultural Landscape District. They directly challenged the City’s push for deaccession, arguing that the fountain’s deterioration is a result of deferred maintenance that should not set a dangerous precedent of demolishing public art. D

On Friday, September 19, 2025, Docomomo US/NOCA and a coalition of local, national, and international groups sent a letter to San Francisco Arts Commission, Recreation and Park Department, the Project Governance Team, and all associated city agencies and partners with a clear message: Embarcadero Plaza and the Vaillancourt Fountain must be retained and rehabilitated for present and future residents and visitors.

Docomomo US announces 18 recipients of the 2025 Modernism in America Awards. Now in its 12th year, the Awards celebrate the documentation, preservation and reuse of Modern buildings, structures and landscapes built in the United States or on U.S. territory and recognize building owners, design teams, individuals, and preservation organizations that have made significant efforts to retain, restore, and advocate for the aesthetic and cultural value of such places.

Bring San Francisco’s iconic Vaillancourt Fountain into your virtual meetings with these bold, modernist Zoom backgrounds. Perfect for architecture lovers, Bay Area locals, or anyone seeking a unique backdrop, this digital image transforms your Zoom calls and advocates for preservation of a piece of the city’s public art history. Learn more and download your free background now.

As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts to retain and rehabilitate Embarcadero Plaza and the Vaillancourt Fountain, we requested important information from multiple San Francisco policy bodies to facilitate the full and transparent participation of interested parties in this civic process.

Docomomo US/Northern California has launched a new online resource highlighting the life and work of Roger Y. Lee, AIA (1920–1981), one of the most prolific yet underrecognized figures of Bay Area Modernism. A Chinese-American architect who overcame systemic racial barriers of his time, Lee created more than 100 residences and a wide range of civic, commercial, and religious projects across the West Coast.

In an expected turn of events, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (SFRPD) has formally requested the San Francisco Arts Commission’s (SFAC) consideration and approval to proceed with the formal deaccession of the Vaillancourt Fountain from the Civic Art Collection and its removal from Embarcadero Plaza. In other words, this is a request for permission to demolish the Vaillancourt Fountain.

Discover key highlights from San Francisco Recreation and Park’s July 2025 meeting on the Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation. Learn about RPD's decision to demolish the Vaillancourt Fountain, cost estimates, and unaddressed alternatives. Access videos, transcripts, advocacy resources, and learn how to take action to preserve San Francisco’s Modern heritage.

On June 16, 2025, board members of Docomomo US/Northern California (NOCA) attended a key stakeholder meeting with staff of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD) and a representative from BXP to discuss the Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project. The meeting discussed the project’s goals, timeline, and challenges, with a particular focus on the future of the Vaillancourt Fountain and Embarcadero Plaza.

On Friday, May 23, Embarcadero Plaza hosted community members, art enthusiasts, and supporters of modern architecture for a Plaza Picnic, an event organized by Docomomo US/NOCA. The occasion marked a special welcome for the Vaillancourt family, who traveled from Québec and honored the enduring legacy of the Vaillancourt Fountain—a beloved yet endangered landmark in San Francisco. In addition to the Vaillancourt family, Lawrence Halprin's daughter Rana, activist, and Alcatraz occupier Robert Free, SFRPD project manager Eoanna Harrison Goodwin, Supervisor District 1's chief of staff, friends from SF Heritage, and The Cultural Landscape Foundation, as well as artists, skateboarders, and people who shared personal stories of the plaza and fountain over the past 50 years.

Docomomo Northern California was thrilled to join the conversation about some of the best of Downtown San Francisco’s Modernist skyscrapers with Heritage’s Woody LaBounty and our own Board President Barrett Reiter and Board Member Ted Barrow!

Experience the artistry of Ruth Asawa beyond the museum with Docomomo US/Northern California’s new self-guided tour. Discover Asawa’s iconic fountains and public sculptures throughout the San Francisco Bay Area using our interactive map. Perfect for art lovers inspired by the SFMOMA retrospective, this tour invites you to walk in Asawa’s footsteps and see the city through her creative vision.

Explore the newly launched Beverley D Thorne archive on Docomomo Northern California’s website. Discover the life and works of this pioneering ‘Man of Steel,’ including his famous Dave Brubeck House, Case Study House #26, and innovative steel-framed designs. Dive into California Modernism’s rich history through this comprehensive collection.