The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity saw Stage One back in the sand with Amplify, our second year with them on this beach activation.

The footprint of this activation is wide, spanning approximately 58m and is located just beyond La Croisette. Sustainability is intrinsic in design, re-purposing the previous year’s materials, refreshed with new activations and differentiated scenic finish to welcome Google’s exclusive guests.

Such projects follow a different workflow to those that are brand new; the first step is to assess the materials that have been held in storage. The methodical review of each area, the sum of which comprises thousands of component pieces, is no easy feat. Steel work was re-sprayed, some timber panels replaced, and polycarbonate roof panels cleaned, sprayed and re-installed.

All structures were test built here at Stage One with all components tagged for identification. At the same time paint sampling was underway to achieve the new scenic finish, first painted with a white base, colour was applied in incremental layers to produce the gradient appearance.

Experienced in delivering on the beach, certain elements are beyond our control, so when thunderstorms rolled in to thwart our progress, we were agile in our response, adjusting our order of works and lifting plan to prevent any impact on the completion deadline.

Timesaving was further enhanced by employing new ways of working, learnings taken from previous years. Investment in a new hole boring tool made it easier to establish ground anchors in the sand, taking less time and involving fewer people. Reliable tagging of components meant their identification was easier, facilitating a speedier build of the structures. Time that was spent on the finishing touches and finesse of the Google Beach of 2024.

Hear about The Google Beach from our Project Manager, Ben Fletcher, here