London-Based [MC]Studios Unveils KSA MicroLiving Airport Design

London-based architecture and digital design practice [MC] Studios has unveiled its vision for KSA MicroLiving Airport, a next-generation travel hub in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. Integrating AI-driven design and urban fluidity, the project introduces an efficient and passenger-centric environment.

Starting with an AI-generated model, leveraged to challenge conventional airport layouts - moving beyond the typical H and L configurations to explore more fluid, optimised spatial solutions - the design rolls out like a swirling snail shell unfurling from beneath the sand.

At the centre of the design lies the Head-House Terminal, a futuristic reinterpretation of the Arab urban grid. Beyond its transit function, it offers a multi-sensory connection to the city, integrating night-stay apartments, luxury retail, fine dining, entertainment and business spaces. Meanwhile the ceiling structure drapes downward like silk cascading onto the floor, becoming the core around which this momentous space and its bustling motion revolves.

The MicroLiving concept extends to the pre-flight experience, offering travellers, families and business professionals an immersive environment. An underground experience carves its way from the Head-House to sunken boarding-gate piers. The masterplan culminates in four sunken satellites at the extremities of the airport, designed for private travel. Two piers accommodate private jets, while sunken satellite villas provide luxury overnight stays, offering an unreal experience of sleeping beneath the world’s most futuristic airport.

Located in Riyadh, this urban-scale airport serves as a vital artery, connecting the capital to the Kingdom at large and linking Saudi Arabia to the world. The airport’s layout extends like the roots reaching out, with the runways forming web like living roots for humans, planes and machines.

Transporting you beyond physical borders, the airport also immerses you in a digital world where amenities and services are closely intertwined with new technologies. A Smart Day Care offers secure, AI-monitored play zones with real-time updates to your device, with the aim of ensuring a stress-free journey for both parents and children. Meanwhile, an Interactive Augmented Reality experience blends virtual entertainment with the real airport environment, allowing you to adjust how much of your experience is digital or physical, making the space feel more engaging, dynamic and personal.

Photography Credit: [MC] Studios