8th and Townsend
SOMA
This winged lion sits in the traffic circle at 8th and Townsend.
The lion was a gift from a former Galleria showroom owner, Jack Shears. (Shears and Windows)
The Design Center placed the lion in the traffic circle in 1988, then installed a sprinkler system and planted the lawn. The Design Center has maintained the traffic circle since then.
The lion, purchased from Haddonstone, was designed as the center piece for a fountain, with plumbing lines running internally within the piece. Wouldn’t it be nice if someday the fountain is completed.
Update: As you can see by Evan Ward’s comments. The statue was actually purchased by Mr. Poland that owned the Showplace Square and Galleria. He purchased the Saint Marks Lion (symbol of Venice, Italy) from Haddonstone, through the Shears and Windows Showroom on the urging of Jack Shears and Adam Window after a trip they made to Venice.