The Kavkaz Airport Redefines Travel in the Caucasus

In the shadow of the Caucasus mountains, where ridgelines carve the horizon and fir trees stitch the slopes together, a new landmark is taking shape. The forthcoming passenger terminal of Kavkaz Airport isn’t just infrastructure — it’s an architectural ode to the landscape it inhabits.

Designed by KPLN Architectural Bureau, the 27,000-square-metre terminal is a striking vision that promises to turn the act of arrival into something cinematic. Slated for completion in 2028, the project reimagines how a gateway can reflect its geography, drawing inspiration directly from the terrain and the natural geometry of the region. Think mountain lakes, seed cones, meadows, and forested foothills translated into steel, glass, and concrete.

The building itself curves into a triangular form softened by rounded edges, a deliberate nod to harmony rather than dominance. At its heart, a green courtyard atrium rises with fir trees, while a living roof crowns the structure with a layer of mountain ecology. Step inside and the choreography of the airport unfolds as naturally as a trail walk: check-in hall, retail spaces, a food court, then the hush of a VIP lounge, before opening into the wide, light-soaked departure hall. Vast panes of glass frame the runway with a backdrop of the Caucasus foothills, ensuring the journey begins with a view.

For chief architect Sergey Nikeshkin, the project was never about steel alone.

“We wanted to create not just an airport terminal, but a gateway to the mountains that will leave passengers with vivid impressions from the first minutes of arrival,” he says. “The green roof, the wooden columns that recall pine needles, the internal hill of fir trees — all of this is about strengthening the bond with Arkhyz and its extraordinary landscape.”

It’s a poetic ambition, but also a pragmatic one. Once operational, the airport will drastically cut travel times to Arkhyz, Dombay, and Cherkessk — destinations prized by skiers, climbers, and travellers chasing altitude and authenticity. The project, backed by Holding "Airports of Regions", is expected to accelerate tourism across the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, fuelling the region’s transformation into one of Russia’s most accessible mountain playgrounds.

The visual identity is only half the story. Materials — concrete, brick, glass, metal — are balanced by eco-conscious design principles. KPLN has built its reputation on blending large-scale functionality with minimal environmental impact, and Kavkaz Airport continues that thread. Known for using BIM technologies and international green standards such as LEED and BREEAM, the bureau has long operated at the intersection of technological precision and creative intuition.

Founded in 2008 by Sergey Nikeshkin and Andrey Mikhailov, KPLN is now among Russia’s most decorated firms, with a portfolio spanning over 100 projects. From shopping centres and residential complexes to experimental industrial hubs, the bureau has consistently pushed beyond conventional blueprints. Their philosophy, much like this airport, rests on balance: bold design underpinned by environmental sensitivity.

By the end of the decade, when the first flights depart from the banks of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River, Kavkaz Airport will do more than move passengers. It will signal a shift — a new way of framing travel, where terminals don’t just process travellers but invite them to pause, to look up at the mountains, and to realise they’re already part of the journey.