The Regenerator Centre for Urban Culture in Zabok, Croatia, is a contemporary hub for culture, music, creative industries and community life. The complex is organised into three interconnected volumes – Regenerator, Silos and Incubator – hosting concerts, cinema screenings, workshops, exhibitions, conferences and social gatherings. It also includes a small hostel for volunteers and touring bands. The site originally housed the renowned Regeneracija carpet factory, once a major economic engine of the region. Fully renovated and expanded, it has now been transformed into a new driving force for the local cultural and creative scene.

The wayfinding and signage system was developed through a 50/50 collaboration between Hot Type, a type design studio founded by Marko Hrastovec, and our Croatia team. The project was initially commissioned to Marko by the architects, Mikelic Vres Arhitekti, and he invited Robert Canak to join as co-author. Together, the team created a robust yet elegant orientation interface to support the building’s modular programming, allowing visitors to use each building individually or all of them at once.

The visual language is deliberately rooted in the site’s industrial heritage. The signage employs simple, untreated aluminium profiles from a local hardware supplier paired with heavy-duty vinyl applications, forming a modular system that integrates naturally with the architecture. Working with the survivor of the original carpet factory (now a smaller, artisan practice), the team then produced several elements of the system, allowing the raw aluminium to be softened by an unexpected, sentimental echo of the previous tenant.

Regenerator now serves as a vital cultural anchor for Zabok and the wider region. Our collaborative approach ensures that the wayfinding system clarifies movement while reinforcing the project’s core narrative of renewal, inventive repurposing, and creative energy.