This has been around for over 10 years, and the furniture hanging off the sides of the building is looking awfully ratty - - I'm hoping that this abandoned building will be finally torn down soon so that the neighborhood will come to some productive use.

Isn't "defenestration" especially when someone throws HIMSELF out of the window in an act of suicide?

FUGLY, IMHO

Daniel Poitiers, I'm pretty sure 'defenestrate' is just the general term for throwing anything out a window.

The Defenestration of Prague is just about the only thing I remember from European History. And apparently there was more than one! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestration_of_Prague.

Personally, I hope they can salvage and restore the building, rather than tearing it down. SF has lost too much of its old architecture as is.

I love this installation, have loved it since '97 and will continue to love it no matter how ratty the furniture gets.

This building is at the end of my street. I have to add that the graffiti at the base of the building is ever changing and actually pretty cool. There currently is a holiday snow theme going on- I will try to remember to grab a shot and add to this page.

Being from Boston, I think this is kinda neat!

Defenestration: from the makers of De-plane.

this is my favorite building in SF. there was talk of them demolishing them and i hope that never happens!

I must admit, (to) defenestrate is one of my most favourite English verbs.

love it.

Love it, love it, love it. Does the artist continue to expand on it or is it static. If I were he/she, I'd sneak in at night and move stuff about...add and subtract pieces...keep the buzz going. That is so cool.

FYI, defenestration is the abrupt dismissal or expulsion of anything...more specifically, a person or object from a window. I think it is a transitive verb, though I guess if you throw yourself out a window in an act of suicide that's transitive.

de⋅fen⋅es⋅tra⋅tion
   /diˌfɛnəˈstreɪʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dee-fen-uh-strey-shuhn] Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
the act of throwing a thing or esp. a person out of a window: the defenestration of the commissioners at Prague.

Had to do it!

I too live down the street from this building. When they do tear it down (as is the plan in the SoMa redevelopment plan) Im going to snag that grandfather clock. This has always been a landmark for me and I am pleased to live near it and see if from my window. And yes, the evolving graf at the ground level has had peices from many masters over the years and now sports a snow motif thanks to the guys at 1AM gallery.

I think some of the pieces used to move, but have long since stopped.

I've always loved this building, and I also hope that some generous soul decides it's just to great to tear down.

To answer your question 39520expat, it's been boarded up for as long as I've lived here (10 years), so nobody's added or even maintained it.

I worked for the non-profit art space that gave Brian Goggin a grant towards creating this piece back in the 90s. Passed by it last week and was thinking how well it's held up (for over 10 years). He also has a beautiful new piece, Language of the Birds, which he did with fellow artist Dorka Keehn, in the north beach. http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=26229