Chet Holifield Federal Building, Federal building in Laguna Niguel, US.
The Chet Holifield Federal Building is a federal office structure in Laguna Niguel with a distinctive stepped pyramid design, featuring seven floors of angled concrete panels and aluminum fenestration. The geometric form creates a striking presence in its landscape setting.
The structure was built between 1968 and 1971 as a corporate facility for North American Aviation, an aerospace manufacturer. When Rockwell International absorbed the company, the General Services Administration acquired the building in 1974 for federal use.
Congress renamed the building in 1978 for Democrat Chester E. "Chet" Holifield, who represented California's 19th congressional district from 1943 to 1974. The naming came four years after the General Services Administration took over the vacant structure. Visitors can spot the name on the building's signage.
The building sits on a 92-acre parcel in a shallow valley of the San Joaquin Hills, about 4 miles from the Pacific coastline. The east entrance is trapezoidal, echoing the structure's overall shape. Much of the more than one-million-square-foot interior lies below grade, and the site is between Los Angeles and San Diego.
The building was designed to hold 7,000 aerospace employees, but Rockwell never moved in and it sat largely empty for years. In 1969 chairman Willard Rockwell toured the fourth floor and said: "This is far too nice for an electronics firm." Construction stopped soon after.
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