Uneven Ground

In between the rows of pillars at the centre of the memorial.

What would you create as a memorial for the Murdered Jews in Europe? For Peter Eisenman, the answer is almost 3,000 concrete pillars arranged in a grid. The horizontal dimensions are identical and resemble those of a tomb, but all pillars are of varying height.

Entering the memorial from the edge of the

The effect is to create a scene that is a little awkward to look at. The repetitive, featureless pillars create something of an optical illusion while the random heights of the pillars across the field means that there isn’t any pattern to seek comfort in.

The pillars begin short but quickly grow as you move deeper in.