Trocadero Transfer

The building at five hundred twenty Fourth Street once served as a television studio for KQED before its transformation into the legendary Trocadero Transfer. Opening in December of nineteen seventy-seven, the club quickly became a centerpiece of San Francisco nightlife at the height of the disco era. Owner Dick Collier designed the space to mimic the opulence of the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris, pouring significant resources into creating a high-drama environment for his patrons. The club operated as an after-hours venue, often keeping its doors open until six in the morning, which forced the local gay business association to lobby the city’s board of permit appeals just to secure the necessary late-night licensing.