The 4.7 acre site is covered with 2,711 concrete slabs. According to Eisenman, the slabs are supposed to create a confusing, uneasy atmosphere. They represent an ordered system that has lost touch with human reason.
The concrete slabs are covered by an anti-graffiti chemical called Protectosil. This chemical was manufactured and supplied by the Degussa company. However this same company had been involved in the very persecution of the Jewish people that these slabs were commemorating.
One of their subsidiary companies, Degesch, even manaufactured the Zyklon B gas used to kill people in WWII gas chambers.
When this was brought to the attention of the memorial's board of trustees, a long discussion took place about whether or not to continue to use the company. Ultimately, they decided to continue working with Degussa and were heavily criticized for this.
