MONOGRAPH

MUSEUM
PROGRAMMING
TOMMY KHA
A Concept Proposal for the
Tallahassee International
Airport Monograph Museum
Mairen "TN" Manning
ARTIST’S SYNOPSIS
ARTIST’S SYNOPSIS
Context Information
The artist chosen is Tommy Kha, a queer, southern, male, Chinese-American
working in photography. While listing all of these identities and labels may seem
arbitrary, Kha has mentioned in several interviews that he has come to view himself as
an interloper- somebody who becomes involved with something in which they are
considered to not belong. He has seldom found a singular place to belong, always
finding himself in a state of back and forth. As such, his work is discussed as “bits and
pieces” (Art21, 2022). Kha has talked about the way his and his family’s history haunts
his present, affecting the way he can represent himself in his work. Tommy Kha’s family
has a history of emigrating: starting in China, to Vietnam, to Canada, and then to the
United States. Because of this, location and a sense of disconnect within Kha’s work are
significant, even if not the main theme.

Message and Tone

While Tommy Kha’s field is entirely photography, with a couple of exceptions of
short films, he still fills them with multiple textures and cuts into them to create unique
senses of experience. His work can ultimately be described by a sense of duality: the
familiar and the new, the fragmented and the understood, the sentimental and the
logical. Because of this, Kha has no characteristic size or primary form. Instead, they all
change to represent different facets of representation. As demonstrated in a shot of one
of Kha’s installations, his photographs take up multiple sizes and cross over eachother at
certain points. Consistencies across his pictures include a connection with the
background, sticking to scenic landscapes or places of daily life. Similarly, the colors
within Kha’s photography tend to be overly saturated. The use of color emphasizes how
memories and identity can feel disjointed, like a nostalgic dreamscape.
Ultimately Kha’s work is about representing identity when one feels unsure about
how that fits. In an interview with Art21, Kha states a couple of questions that guide how
he approaches his photography:
 “How do we see ourselves when we are not represented?”
“What is the best way to arrive at ourselves through photography?”
Similar to Kha’s philosophy, the tone of his work contains a nostalgic feel while
presenting fragmented images. Kha has not provided a specific feeling that he wishes to
elicit from his audience, instead, his photography works as an exploration of identity for
himself, his family, and the society he bears witness to. His work elicits the feelings of a
dream- giving the viewer the sense of floating between states. Comparably, the viewer is
meant to simply observe as one does with a dream: out of control but present all the
same. Furthermore, the disconnect and fragmented style of Kha’s photography means
that its observation is not meant to be done in separate doses. All of the pieces within a
collection play into each other’s ideas and emotions. In the collection “I’m Only Here to
Leave”, Kha has pieces that either stand completely separated or overlap with each
other. It’s a literal demonstration of how the emotions of belonging and identity are
complicated and continues Kha’s message on memory as bits and pieces.

Architectural Solutions
In utilizing Tommy Kha’s work for a space, they should continue to be
fragmented: bending around or being cut off by corners, overlapping with eachother and
in the space. Utilizing corner cut-offs can help maintain the feeling of disconnect within
Kha’s work. Additionally, since Kha’s photography comes in a variety of sizes, its
installation can be more flexible as long as it maintains the feeling of the original pieces.
The displaying of the photos can be done by painting or attaching vinyl directly to the
wall, or framing printed canvases. The variety of scale, proximity, and production within
Kha’s work allows for certain pictures to be placed directly behind the seating, while
other images can be placed out of reach. Due to the potential glare of vinyl, if vinyl is
used, lighting should be lower in brightness. Moreover, the dreamscape nature and
bright saturation of Kha’s work encourage the lighting of the room to be warm and
subdued. Overall, the architectural solution must match the tone of Kha’s work: utilizing
the juxtaposition of disconnect versus overlap, and bright colors versus subdued ones.
Quotations by Tommy Kha

“Memphis is just like that kind of nexus point between mythology and history, and
sentimentality and memory, and it’s something to be misremembered in a way. Much of
my work and my family’s history is just that, it’s bits and pieces.” (Art21, 2022).

“How do we see ourselves when we are not represented?” (Art21, 2022)

“What is the best way to arrive at ourselves through photography?” (Art21, 2022)

“Recently, I have been describing photography as being between language (because

language is a communal activity) and more lately, as a form of chasing ghosts,
possession, and exorcisms.” (Ugwu, 2022).

“To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves,
by having knowledge of them that they can never have; it turns people into objects that
can be symbolically possessed. Just as a camera is a sublimation of the gun, to
photograph someone is a subliminal murder - a soft murder, appropriate to a sad,
frightened time.” -Kha quoting Susan Sontag as a way of explaining his approach
(Ugwu, 2022)
Pictures of Work

Stops (II)

Marsha P. Johnson Park,

Brooklyn, 2020

Headtown (V)

Whitehaven, Memphis

2017
Installation shot, Mirror Mirror, Nathalie Karg Gallery 2021.
References

Art21. (2022, March 9). Tommy Kha’s Bits & Pieces | ArT21 “New York Close Up”

[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyI-pEna4-w

Pham, L. (2023, March 2). The many faces of Tommy Kha - 1854 Photography. 1854

Photography.

https://www.1854.photography/2023/03/tommy-kha-aperture-baxter-street-ne

w-york/

TOMMY KHA. (n.d.). TOMMY KHA. http://tommykha.com/

Wong, H. (2023, September 26). Artforum. Artforum.

https://www.artforum.com/columns/a-sons-fractured-view-of-the-immigrant-e

xperience-252548/

Ugwu, U. (2022). An Appeasing Conversation with Tommy Kha — Arte Realizzata. Arte

Realizzata.

https://www.arterealizzata.com/interviews/an-appeasing-conversation-with-to

mmy-kha
PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The goal is to design a monograph museum, based on the artist Tommy Kha, within the
Tallahassee International Airport. The design only pertains to the second-floor
observation deck, excluding all other spaces of the airport. The client, the Advisory
Board for the Tallahassee International Airport, wants to move past just hanging art on
the wall, desiring a space that highlights a contemporary artist’s philosophies with
impactful pieces. Artistic expressions that boost perceptions of the airport and the city
are a priority for the Advisory Board.
USER PROFILE
USER PROFILES
Airport Staff
Function:
• The full workday is spent within the Airport
o Small moments of breaks
• Walking around the airport, they likely just have their wallet and phone on them.
o Flight Attendants and Captains differ by having their small carry-on suitcases.
Social:
• Ranges from being by themself to being in small groups
.,
o IE. transportation workers by themself whereas Flight Attendants work together.
• Likely uninterested in functional displays, as familiar with the airport.
Emotional:
• Concerns with meeting job requirements: being on time, fulfilling duties, etc.
• Pre-occupied while on the job, likely happier when on break
o fatigue can show at any point depending on the day

Meeters and Greeters

Function:
• Time spent in the airport ranges from 5 minutes to several hours
o Some people may be quickly picking up the Traveler, or waiting for a while if
the Traveler was delayed.
• Minimal personal belongings: purses, keys, phones, etc.
Social:
• Can be alone or in groups: taxi drivers and partners versus larger families.
o Largely depends on the nature of where the Traveler is arriving.
• Can be interested in displays regardless of functionality.
o From where/when their Traveler will be arriving to displays just to keep
themselves occupied while they wait.
Emotional:
• Can be concerned about the arrival of the Traveler they are picking up.
o The state of the Traveler reflects in their mental state: excitement to reconnect,
stress if the flight is delayed, boredom if waiting for a long time, etc.

Travelers
Function:
• The time range in the airport environment ranges from 30 minutes to 5+ hours
o Some Travelers run late, while others find themself with an abundance of time.
• Majority of Travelers will have a carry-on bag, their phone, and their wallet.
Social:
• Ranges from being by themself to being in small groups
0
o The majority of Travelers are alone. Exceptions are more likely found in military,
academic, and family groups.
• Most often displays are utilized for gate/flight information. Nonfunctional displays are
only interacted with if the Traveler is met with excess time.
Emotional:
• Travelers are likely concerned about making flights and arriving at their final destination
in a timely manner.
• Depending on how much time is on the Traveler's hand, they can range from being
overwhelmed to content to bored.
 SITE ANALYSIS AND
EXISTING CONDITIONS
SITE ANALYSIS AND
EXISTING CONDITIONS

State Capitol Building Florida State University

The Tallahassee International Airport is located in Leon County, Tallahassee, Florida. Tallahassee
is the State Capitol of Florida and is home to Florida State University, as well as multiple
hiking trails, parks, museums, and historic sites. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July
2022 has a population of about 201,731 people and a land area of 100.93 square miles. On
average, Tallahassee gets 59 inches of rain and 0 inches of snow per year.

OVERVIEW OF THE SITE

Capital Circle SW

Map of Tallahassee International Airport; 3300 Capital Cir SW, Tallahassee, FL 32310

The Tallahassee International Airport is home to 2,000 employees spread across two floors and
two runways. According to the director Jim Durwin, the airport sees about 850,000 flyers in a
year, and there are 1.5 meeters and greeters per passenger (meeter and greeter being a visitor
related to the passenger). On top of this, the airport has about 80,000 landings and take-offs. The
airport is also a responder for emergency management in the area: housing families of potential
victims and emergency responders, such as firefighters, Red Cross members, etc. The airport’s
location in the state capital also means that the airport will have planes coming in and out
regarding governors and other government personnel.
VISUAL DOCUMENTATION

W E

S
N

Observation Deck Floor Plan: It is located on the second floor and is 1570 square feet.

(N) North Wall (S) South Wall

(E) East Wall (W) West Wall

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
The Observation Deck itself is open and has a lot of potential for design opportunities,
however, there are still some limitations. The Observation Deck is located on the second
floor, and it has no proper wayfinding denoting its location. The airport director in an
interview even specifically stated that not many visitors, or employees, know that the
room exists. Since the project is limited to just the room, there is no way to design
wayfinding to locate the room from the stairway and the first floor. Additionally, the main
purpose of the room is to be able to view the tarmac where the planes take off and land.
As such, the view through the south wall can not be overly obstructed.
PERSON-ENVIRONMENT
FIT THEORY
PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT
THEORY STYLE OF
RESPONSES WITH
ARCHITECTURAL OUTCOMES

Response to Poor Example Outcome Design Response and

Person-Environment Fit Solutions

Coping By Changing A Person may need a place to

Themselves work. So they do their work
on their phone so they don’t
need to sit.

A Person may need a safe

place to set bags, travel or
personnel, down. So the
person constantly places
them at their feet, picking up
and placing them down as
needed.

A Person may want a place to

rest. So they use their jacket
or bag to lean against.

A Person may want to make

sure they are ready for their
flight. So they look through
their tickets and flight
information on their phone.

A Person may want to be kept

busy while they wait. So they
browse through random apps
on their phone or pull out a
book or newspaper.
Response to Poor Example Outcome Design Response and
Person-Environment Fit Solutions

Coping By Changing the A Person may need a place to

Environment. work. So they find an
airplane-specific lounge with
space for them to sit down.

A Person may need a safe

place to set bags, travel or
personnel, down. So the
person sets them underneath
a seat and asks somebody else
to watch after their stuff.

A Person may want a place to

rest. So they take up multiple
seats or set up a location to
rest against a wall.

A Person may want to make

sure they are ready for their
flight. So they ask airport
workers about their flight or
find the screens that give out
flight information.

A Person may want to be kept

busy while they wait. So they
look for displays they can
look at or interact with.
ARCHITECTURAL
ELEMENTS
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
Ceilings
The lighting in this ceiling
creates visual interest by
utilizing repetition and would be
a viable solution for having soft
lighting in the built
environment. The fragmentation
of dots also corresponds with the
fragmented nature of the artist’s
work.
The slanted ceiling adds
emphasis to the height of the
space while also highlighting the
window. Due to the lack of wall
space in the observation deck, a
slanted ceiling could be a
location for art to be placed and
viewed if utilized correctly.
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
Floors
The smooth, linoleum floor adds
to a tone of tranquility in the
space. Amongst the business of
travel and other aspects of the
space, this floor can give a sense
of calm for a weary traveler.
The floor presented is an
interactive LED and would make
a great addition for children in
the space. It adds lighting and
the potential for unique designs
all while keeping the little ones
occupied and engaged.
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
Walls
The color variation on the wall
matches the texture of a
watercolor painting, providing a
subdued mood. With the visual
interest going on in the rest of
the space, the stillness of the
wall helps in balancing it out.
The faux stucco on this wall
utilizes repetition, proximity,
and color variation to create a
relaxed sense of visual interest.
It’s then balanced out by the
simplistic and clean wood
molding on the lower half of the
wall.
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
Columns/Pilasters
The simplistic, rectilinear shape
of the columns repeats that of
the wall molding previously
presented. Furthermore, the
stability of the form means that
it could support the more
complex structures of the space.
These columns are broken up
into 3 components with a
changed element in the middle,
creating a sense of balance. The
see-through nature of the
columns also allows people to
view through them to maintain a
sense of visibility within the
room.
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
Windows
The negative space for the
window covering maintains
visibility through the window
and creates visual balance. The
use of two “colors” also prevents
the design from becoming overly
busy on the eye.
This window covering allows for
the complexity of design while
providing seeing from one side.
This matches with the current
inner windows of the
observation deck, but adds the
visual interest that they are
currently missing.
 ELEMENTS AND
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
BRAINSTORMING
SHEETS
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The Elements and Principles of Design: Brainstorming possible ideas

React to the artist's works, seeing if you can associate visual images that fall into the categories of the elements and principles of design. Don't
overthink this! Just let your mind think freely about the artwork, its ideas and how some of them might be expressed physically. Ideas can be broad
or detailed. Provide notes to describe what you are thinking. The point here is to provide some ideas for shaping the architectural space itself.

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C Line: what line types (smooth, dotted, dashed), line directions Shape: what sorts of shapes seem most associated? Are the
shapes heavy, light? Do they have an emotional association?
(vertical, diagonal, etc.), line thicknesses come to mind?
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VISUAL NOTATION
CONCEPT SHEETS
 CONCEPT STATEMENT

The design for the Monograph Museum within the International Tallahassee Airport is
inspired by the characteristics of a shattered mirror. People often use mirrors to check their
appearance and ensure that it aligns with themself. In Tommy Kha’s photography, his central
theme is exploring identity in fractured pieces from an obscured point of view. A shattered
mirror then matches this idea of an obscured view of self. The concept will be demonstrated by
using rectilinear lines in the furniture and the overall structure of the room. Additionally, the
placement of Kha’s work will follow diagonal lines similar to the lines seen in broken mirrors.
The color palette will utilize cooler tones to match the contemplative mood of looking at oneself.
The design will make people feel tranquil despite the abstract nature of Tommy Kha’s
photography. It will promote its users to be able to work or think within the space.
 FLAVOR IMAGES
The cooler color tones provide that feeling of tranquility
the design wishes to obtain. The diagonal wall between the
side wall and ceiling provides additional angles like in the
concept- it also gives more space for the artwork of Tommy
Kha to be displayed.

This space utilizes a mirror for its ceiling. This

design solution makes the space feel bigger,
helps with brightening the space (reflecting
light), and directly ties in with the concept for
the built environment’s design. If the solution
wants to go even more literally, then the
ceiling mirror can be installed through panels
made up of triangles and parallelograms.

The window graphics for this museum

demonstrate a memorable method for
wayfinding, creating a ‘landmark’ as well as
informing visitors what they can expect from
the space. The interior windows of the
observation room can utilize a similar
method, instead installing a portrait of
Tommy Kha and the title/purpose of the
space (IE ‘Tommy Kha Gallery’).
 PROJECT GOALS

Alignment

To support the hectic environment of an airport and the abstract nature of Tommy Kha’s
photography, it is essential that the space remains grounded and aligned within itself. By
maintaining grounded spaces, the users of the space can feel supported in their needs.

Contemplative

Tommy Kha’s work explores identity through a variety of different lenses. Users in the space
should interact with the work through introspective means. Thus, the built environment must
promote a contemplative mood.

Adaptability

The range of airport users is vast, and the range of existing identities is even vaster. Adaptability
means that the space can change to meet the needs of its visitors. The museum design should
foster the users’ ability to interact with their environment and feel supported.
PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT
THEORY STYLE OF
RESPONSES WITH
ARCHITECTURAL OUTCOMES

Response to Poor Example Outcome Design Response and

Person-Environment Fit Solutions

Coping By Changing A Person may need a place to The design incorporates

Themselves work. So they do their work multiple charging outlets and
on their phone so they don’t flat surfaces where laptops
need to sit. and books can be placed.

A Person may need a safe The design incorporates

place to set bags, travel, or
personnel, down. So the
person constantly places
them at their feet, picking up
and placing them down as
needed.
space underneath every seat
for luggage to slide
underneath, so users can
keep their bags close without
worry.

A Person may want a place to

rest. So they use their jacket
or bag to lean against.

A Person may want to make

sure they are ready for their
flight. So they look through
their tickets and flight
information on their phone.

A Person may want to be kept

busy while they wait. So they
browse through random apps
on their phone or pull out a
book or newspaper.
Response to Poor Example Outcome Design Response and
Person-Environment Fit Solutions

Coping By Changing the A Person may need a place to

Environment. work. So they find an
airplane-specific lounge with
space for them to sit down.

A Person may need a safe

place to set bags, travel, or
personnel, down. So the
person sets them underneath
a seat and asks somebody else
to watch after their stuff.

A Person may want a place to The design incorporates thick

rest. So they take up multiple walls with small nooks, so a
seats or set up a location to person can curl up and rest
rest against a wall. within the space.

A Person may want to make

sure they are ready for their
flight. So they ask airport
workers about their flights or
find the screens that give out
flight information.

A Person may want to be kept

busy while they wait. So they
look for displays they can
look at or interact with.