We’re used to AI living on our screens – but what happens when it steps into the real world, at full scale? Big Image helped The Beach create a 50 x 10 meter AI-generated artwork for their beach volleyball arena in Huddinge, just outside Stockholm.
At The Beach, experience is everything. It’s sand between your toes, birdsong playing through the speakers, and décor that immerses visitors in a tropical atmosphere. So when the team behind the arena opened a brand-new location, they wanted to take that feeling even further.
“We want our guests to feel happy and experience summer – even in the middle of winter,” says David Cabrera, CEO and founder of The Beach. “The sand underfoot is a start, but what’s on the walls plays a big part too.”
In their previous venue in Södertälje, graffiti art helped cover up pipes and imperfections. But with a brand-new space in Huddinge, they saw an opportunity to do something truly unique – something that would set the mood the moment you step inside.
Inspired by similar arenas around the world, they noticed a common theme: fabric backdrops featuring skies and oceans. The Beach wanted the same, but couldn’t find a photo that captured the exact feeling they were after. They also needed the right material and a smart installation solution – and that’s where Big Image came in.
Big Image suggested creating the motif using AI, combining their experience in large-scale printing with the latest AI tools to bring the vision to life.
“We knew what we wanted to feel, but not how to get there. The AI suggestion sparked our curiosity. It felt bold, but totally possible”, says David Cabrera.
But how do you explain a feeling? David turned to a friend with a passion for meteorology, who helped describe the vision using terms for cloud formations, light conditions, and horizon lines – giving the Big Image creative team a much clearer direction.
After an initial workshop, Big Image’s AI team created several concepts. Once the right motif was chosen, the real craftsmanship began: manually refining the image, retouching visual noise, enhancing sharpness, tuning light and color – and scaling it up to full size without losing the emotional impact.
“Upscaling an AI image to 50 meters without losing the feeling takes experience and finesse,” says Amanda Crabo, AI Lead at Big Image. “AI is just a tool – the magic is human.”
Simply running an image through an AI model isn’t enough. Thanks to a deep knowledge of visual storytelling, color precision, large-scale production and material behavior, Big Image brought the image off the screen and into the space. The result is a massive, immersive backdrop that blends seamlessly into the beach scenery – amplifying the sense of being there. Summer, no matter the season.
From bold ideas to finished reality, we make the extraordinary possible.
