John Peña at the Pittsburgh International Airport
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Use Case: Experiential Signage
Client: John Peña
Design Style: Contemporary Artisanal, Hanging Signs
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Split Flap Specs
Size: 3 ROWS x 8 COLUMNS Display and 2 ROWS x 8 COLUMNS Display
Finish: Modern White Sheet Metal Casing
Installed: 2025
More About Split Flap
Project Overview
When you take a trip, what does your luggage think about? That’s the question multidisciplinary artist John Peña wanted to ask in “Luggage Thoughts,” a series of sculptures adorning the baggage claim carousels in Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal. Peña, a fan of collaboration, posed the question to the Pittsburgh community, sometimes from behind a table in baggage claim prior to its recent glow-up. The collected answers (along with a few musings of his own) now appear on Split Flap displays seamlessly integrated into thought bubbles suspended overhead – er – overhandle four large colorful sculptures of luggage on carousels 1 through 4 in the updated airport.
Split Flap displays have a long history in airports, but Peña’s work brings them back as a form of analog art, delighting weary travelers at the last stop of their air travel journey. The Split Flap’s gentle clacking and kinetic rotating motion capture passengers’ attention even in the busy, often hectic setting. The analog art serves as both a friendly “goodbye!” and a warm “hello!” as they appear at the end of a traveler’s time spent in airplanes and airports, but at the beginning of their time in Pittsburgh.
Analog Art Use Case
Between the 1960s and 1990s, Split Flap displays were a common sight in airports around the world. Their familiar clacking and reliable information made them a key tool for turning chaotic, high-traffic spaces into efficient, navigable transportation hubs. In “Luggage Thoughts,” Peña taps into this history. He recontextualizes the displays from dry, authoritative arbiters of gates and delays into analog art that playfully invites travellers to engage their imaginations. Situated at baggage claim, near the end of a traveller’s journey, the artwork fully inverts the original use of Split Flaps. “Luggage Thoughts” cleverly turns the displays that used to signal the beginning of the long and complicated process of air travel into objects of whimsy and wonder, celebrating its end.
Functionality and Design
As mentioned before, Peña is an expert in creating collaborative art pieces. Not only were the thoughts in “Luggage Thoughts” generated from a partnership with the Pittsburgh community, but the Split Flap displays at the center of each thought bubble were created in a collaboration with Oat Foundry. Ensuring that each display would match Peña’s vision required exceptional communication and collaboration, balancing artistic and technical needs to create an unforgettable end result.
Press and Media
Pittsburgh’s airport makeover was received with great excitement, and “Luggage Thoughts” was often featured as a marquee embellishment, making the space feel lively and bright. Stuck At The Airport featured Pittsburgh International’s new terminal as a highlight of 2025, and specifically called out “Luggage Thoughts” as their “favorite piece.” Blue Sky News, which covers the aviation industry in the Pittsburgh area, reported on “Luggage Thoughts” no fewer than three times [1] [2] [3] during the terminal’s construction. Pittsburgh’s local NPR station covered the artwork, praising its community-sourced captions , while Pittsburgh Magazine also prominently featured Peña’s analog art pieces. The Pittsburgh City Paper likened the new terminal to an art museum, PIT Transformed wrote a piece dedicated to “Luggage Thoughts,” and Peña proudly announced his work on his personal Instagram page.
FAQS
What’s the history of Split Flaps and airports?
The modular electromechanical components behind Split Flap displays were originally invented in the mid 1950s for use in a line of bedside alarm clocks. Shortly thereafter, the technology was reworked into large scale boards known as Split Flap displays, or sometimes Solari Boards after the Italian company that developed them. In 1956, the Liege-Guillemins rail station in Belgium installed the first ever Split Flap display in a transportation hub. Its introduction quickly set a new standard for communicating fast-changing travel information in public settings. Over the next 30 years, the boards quickly proliferated throughout train stations and airports around the world, and their iconic clacking became the ubiquitous soundtrack to modern transportation in the golden age of international travel.
How can Split Flap transform large, high-traffic spaces?
Split Flap displays are especially well suited to make a memorable impact in busy, high-volume places that see hundreds or thousands of guests daily. Their dynamic, kinetic motion and accompanying sonic qualities enable them to capture attention even amongst the din in the most chaotic of spaces. And though they are capable of standing out in a fray, they actually alleviate feelings of stress in heavily trafficked areas. Their predictable, rhythmic motions and soothing rain-like sound adds a calming backdrop that eases tension in spaces that might otherwise feel overwhelming.
Is analog art right for my next big project?
Large scale analog artwork can anchor public spaces and set an elevated, refined tone that touches on nostalgia but stays squarely focused on the here-and-now. Split Flap displays have a grounding presence, creating a tangible atmosphere that gives a space a tactile, memorable air. Their content, scale, and even the intensity of their sonic qualities can all be customized to perfectly craft a specific emotional and sensory impression on guests, making them an excellent center piece for any large public space.