Introduction: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was a tragic event that occurred on March 25, 1911, in New York City. It’s a haunting moment in history, marking one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the United States and the deadliest in New York. The fire erupted on the upper floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a garment factory in Manhattan, due to poor workplace conditions, overcrowding, locked doors, and inadequate fire safety measures. Tragically, the workers—mostly young immigrant women—were unable to escape as the fire spread rapidly. The doors were locked to prevent theft and unauthorized breaks, leaving the workers trapped. The building lacked proper fire escapes, and the firefighters’ ladders couldn’t reach the upper floors. 

Problem: On that fateful day, on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Asch Building in Greenwich Manhattan, a fire broke out creating horrible scenes for the people around. Due to the horrible working conditions that the young workers worked in, they were trapped inside with the fire with the window being their only way out. Young girls were forced to either burn from the fire, or fall to their death trying to escape. What caused the outrage was the fact that those deaths were preventable. The conditions were unsanitary, cramped, and they lacked any safety measures. There was poor ventilation, lighting and they were not allowed many breaks for working very long hours. The tragic loss of 146 lives, mostly young immigrant women, sparked widespread public outrage and brought attention to the hazardous working conditions in factories. It gathered significant media coverage and drew attention to the need for immediate action. The fire prompted a wave of activism and led to significant reforms in labor laws and workplace safety standards. In New York City and beyond, new regulations were implemented to improve fire safety, building codes, and working conditions. The tragedy also directly influenced the passage of new labor laws. In 1913, New York established the Factory Investigating Commission, which led to the implementation of new workplace safety regulations. Additionally, the fire contributed to the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), empowering workers to fight for better conditions. 

Proposed Solution: The memorial will take the form of an interactive space that pays homage to the victims while also informing visitors about the historical context and the significance of workers’ rights. The design can be an electronic open book on the website, with each page being someone who unfortunately passed away in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. In this book, it would include pictures of people who passed, their names, their background, and their life span. Having an electronic screen would make this memorial more interactive because society now has advanced much more, and so people don’t read and look at stuff in person anymore, so having an electronic device would further allow people to interact with it. And since it’s online, people don’t have to go to the memorial in person and can always see it online. We would place this memorial near the middle of Madison Square Park since it would stick out and attract more people since it would be the most interactive memorial while being different. 

Conclusion: The proposed digital, interactive memorial for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire not only honors the lives lost in that tragic event but also introduces a transformative way of connecting with history. By weaving the stories of the victims into a virtual open book, complete with images, personal backgrounds, and lifespans, the memorial transcends traditional boundaries, embracing the digital age to engage a wider audience.