Chet Holifield Federal Building (Laguna Niguel, California)

USA / California / Aliso Viejo / Laguna Niguel, California / Avila Road, 24000
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24000 Avila Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Commonly known as the Ziggurat. The Chet Holifield Federal Building was constructed in Laguna Niguel, California, between 1968 and 1971. William L. Pereira & Associates designed the building, which is unlike any other in the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) inventory. The building has a remarkable stepped pyramid silhouette that is rare in American architecture. The unusual form references ziggurats, ancient Mesopotamian temples.

Chester E. (Chet) Holifield (December 3, 1903 – February 6, 1995) was a United States Representative from California. He was chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Central committee of the 51st District from 1934 to 1938. He was chair of the California State Central committee of the 12th congressional district from 1938 to 1940. He was also a delegate to each Democratic National Convention from 1940 to 1964. Holifield was elected as a Democrat to the 78th and to the fifteen succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1943 until his resignation on December 31, 1974.

The Ziggurat Building was originally constructed for Rockwell International, a multifaceted company that worked in the manufacturing arena for defense and space industries. Rockwell never occupied the building; the company no longer required it after a defense contract that it was relying on never came to fruition. The company offered to trade the building to the federal government in exchange for three surplus government facilities of equal value. In 1974, GSA assumed control of the building.

The Western Regional Department of Homeland Security and the California Service Center of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services are located here.

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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguna_Niguel,_California#Notable_buildings
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Coordinates:   33°33'39"N   117°42'48"W

Comments

  • When this was built by Nixon in the 1970s, there was absolutely NOTHING around.
  • Hello wanted to add a bit of movie info the exterior of the building was used in the filming of Coma this movie stars Genevieve Bujold and Michael Douglas who work in a hospital where people are put into comas and there organs are auctioned off to the highest bidder is really a great movie.
  • It portrayed as the Center for Disease Control headquarters in the 1995 movie "Outbreak”.
  • It was also the Presidential Palace in the original 1975 movie "Death Race 2000", starring David Carradine (Frankenstein) and Sylvester Stallone (Joe BiTurbo). The race started from here and a few scenes were shot in the surrounding area, which at the time was all pastureland with only a few roads and no other buildings.
  • Controlling the comparator or improving the main model ????? /?
  • The building was also used for an episode of the tv series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and a movie called Deal of the Century. I worked there from 1978 to 1982. Interesting building. Absolutely nothing around except for a neighborhood maybe a half mile south of the building.
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This article was last modified 15 years ago