There are a couple of accounts as to why this happened: The more common story is that as the Vietnam War wound down, Rockwell's defense contract with the federal government fell through.

“He got to the fourth floor and he said one thing, a short sentence: ‘This is far too nice for an electronics firm.’ And everything came to a screeching halt.”[1] Designed to accommodate 7,000 aerospace employees, after the acquisition by Rockwell the building sat empty for several years.

[1] In 1978, the United States Congress passed a bill to rename the building in honor of Democratic Congressman Chester E. "Chet" Holifield,[3] who had represented California's 19th congressional district from 1943 to 1974.

Holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration for the Pacific region were once located in the building but have since been relocated to a new center in Perris, California.

"[1] The sculptural Chet Holifield Federal Building is a stepped pyramidal form that has a similar appearance to ancient ziggurats.

It is located on a 92-acre (370,000 m2) parcel of land in Laguna Niguel, California, between Los Angeles and San Diego, and approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Pacific coastline.

[7] The building has seven tiers and is constructed of angled, painted, pre-cast concrete panels with reticulation, a textured finish that displays curvilinear forms.

The building displays some characteristics of the Brutalist style of Modern architecture, which is distinguished by weighty, massive forms; rough, exposed concrete surfaces; broad, expansive wall planes; and recessed windows.

The top tier of the building has a large flat roof with attached protruding vertical elements, providing additional texture to the structure.

A moat of smooth rocks surrounds the building on three sides, alluding to the idea that the massive structure is a modern-day fortress.

Grass panels, trees, landscaped beds, and planters greet visitors and provide contrast to the massive concrete structure.

Pereira's efficient interior circulation system enabled a maximum travel time of approximately five minutes between any two points in the building.

When constructed, the complex had 6,200 parking spaces, which radiate diagonally along the building axes, in anticipation of the thousands of employees expected to occupy the facility.