News
Huge Turnout, Headlines, & Next Steps: SF RPD’s 2nd Plaza Community Meeting
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.
Docomomo US/Northern California Meets with SFRPD & BXP to Call for Thoughtful Preservation of Embarcadero Plaza and Vaillancourt Fountain
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.
Plaza Picnic Celebrates Vaillancourt Fountain and Community Spirit
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 Joins SF Heritage in Conversation
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!
Ruth Asawa Self-Guide Tour Now Available
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.
Embarcadero Plaza and Vaillancourt Fountain: Place-keeping while Place-making
Join the effort to preserve San Francisco's iconic Embarcadero Plaza and Vaillancourt Fountain, a Modernist landmark of art, architecture, and free speech. Learn about its history, threats, and how you can advocate for its future
Beverley D Thorne Archive Now Available
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.
Docomomo NOCA 2024 Year in Review
Explore Docomomo-US Northern California’s 2024 highlights, including walking tours, home visits, and advocacy efforts celebrating the Bay Area’s modern architecture and design.
A Reflection on the 2024 National Symposium Miami
A Reflection on the 2024 National Symposium Miami - concrete, graffiti, climate change, and preservation.
2024 Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Travel Grant Recipient: Jingyi Luo
The Northern California (NOCA) Chapter of Docomomo US is pleased to announce Jingyi Luo as the recipient of the 2024 Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Travel Grant.
More Modernism Than Ever in 2023: Year in Review
More Modernism than ever in 2023! After a few challenging years during the Covid-19 pandemic and readjusting to new realities, 2023 was possibly our busiest year yet! This year we ran nine walking tours, two building tours, and our annual travel grant program, and presented at the Docomomo National Symposium, advocated for the legacy of Paffard Keatinge-Clay, and just hosted our second annual holiday party!
Remembering Beverly Willis, FAIA (1928-2023)
Willis built her practice in San Francisco and made many notable contributions to the city., including Vine Terrace Apartments and the San Francisco Ballet Building.
Skate-Modernism
Discover the unexpected intersection of skateboarding and Late Modernist architecture in Theodore Barrow’s reflection on the Docomomo US National Symposium. Explore how skateboarders interact with iconic Modernist spaces, challenging preservation norms and offering new perspectives on architectural history. Barrow examines the paradoxical appeal of these structures and their potential for adaptive reuse in urban environments
Paffard Keatinge-Clay's Bay Area Projects
Check out our complete profile of Paffard Keatinge-Clay’s Bay Area projects.
Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Grant Recipient: Ted Barrow
The Northern California (NOCA) Chapter of Docomomo US is pleased to announce Ted Barrow as the recipient of the 2023 Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Grant.
Remembering Paffard Keatinge-Clay (1926-2023)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Paffard Keatinge-Clay, architect of several Modernist buildings in California from the 1960s and 70s, including sculptural Brutalist addition to SFAI, the SFSU Student Union, and Kaiser French Campus.
Welcome To Our Newest Board Members
Join us in welcoming Chad DeWitt and Ethen Wood to the Docomomo US/Northern California board!
Watch Recording: "Modernism in San Francisco Chinatown" Presented at National Symposium
Watch a recording of the “Modernism in San Francisco Chinatown” presentation given at the Docomomo US National Symposium.
USModernist Radio Interviews Docomomo US/NOCA Board Member Cord Struckmann
Our very own Docomomo US/NOCA board member Cord Struckmann stars in this episode of USModernist Radio--the always entertaining and educational podcast devoted to Modern architecture.
Party Like It's 1962 | Holiday Party at Case Study House #26
We can't thank our hosts at the Case Study House #26 and all of our members enough for making this event possible!