SEWN
Triangle Fire Memorial Design

This solution seeks to honor the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and bring awareness of its connection and impact on the pursuit for women’s rights, labor rights, and human rights. The victims have been connected through the tragedy, yet the resulting cultural trauma, yielded an undeniable awareness and impact on improving the plight of women, laborers, and the rights of all. The images of the victims undoubtedly resonate a underlying empathy to all who knew of the event then and today.
The proposed materials are fiber optic strands, polyethylene tubing , stainless steel fasters and demounting hardware, aluminum plate with patina and coating. It is proposed that the fiber optic elements be powered from solar panels and battery system on the roof.
Fifty strands are stitched to the eight through tenth floors, left loose to sway with the wind . These strands are raw at their terminus revealing 146 points of light that illuminate pins forming the words “Women’s Rights”, “Labor Rights”, and “Human Rights”. 146 names of victims are portrayed below arranged in rough geographic order, depicting there connection to the city. The names are formed by weaving fiber optic through holes in metal plate. These fibers are continuous connecting the names throughout the memorial. These strands are connected off the metal plate to form a stitch pattern that continues beyond the central piece. This depicts the continuity of the struggle, that the struggle to achieve and maintain these rights is a continuous struggle, a larger struggle, one that is forever connected to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.