The monumentality of a curved abstract monolith enables the memorial to leave a powerful first impression on visitors. The memorial monolith already serves as an exhibition1, visually representing the diversity and quantity of concentration camp prisoners through the varying heights and hues of rammed-earth layers. This material narrative is conveyed through a symbolic participatory approach, in which soil from the prisoners’ homelands is brought in to inform the hue and texture of each layer of the monolith.

The monumentality of the memorial emphasises the significance of honouring the prisoners of the Mauthausen concentration subcamp and their forced labour under inhumane physical and psychological conditions. The memorial's physical presence serves as a symbolic reminder of the importance of deep historical understanding to ensure it never repeats.