Regenerator

Urban Culture Centre

Year 2024

Sector Culture

Client Regenerator, Zabok, Croatia

Scope Wayfinding Strategy,
Signage System Design&Build

Co-authors:
Marko Hrastovec (Typography & Pictogram System)

Architecture:
MVA

Photos:
Bosnic+Dorotic

Located on the site of the former Regeneracija factory in Zabok – once a renowned carpet manufacturer – the Center of Urban Culture re-GENERATOR, designed by MVA – Mikelić Vreš Arhitekti, represents a key step in transforming the city’s industrial zone into a vibrant new cultural and social hub. Conceived as a dynamic ecosystem for culture, music, creative industries, and civil society, the project responds to the expanding needs of an ambitious program that had outgrown its original facilities.

Nestled within the dense urban fabric, the center is organized into three interconnected volumes – one reconstructed and two newly built – forming a distinct architectural ensemble that blurs the line between old and new. The volumes, code-named Regenerator, Silos, and Inkubator, create a cohesive yet flexible whole:

• Regenerator, the reconstructed warehouse, houses a concert hall, recording studio, and rehearsal rooms.
• Silos accommodates a café, offices, and workspaces.
• Inkubator features a small art cinema, exhibition space, workshop areas, a multipurpose classroom, and a mini-hostel.

This tripartite organization allows for multiple modes of use – each volume can operate independently or combine into one continuous, fluid ground-level space. The architectural and programmatic differentiation between the three structures defines a rich spatial sequence – from the dark, introverted concert hall to bright, open workspaces and the softly illuminated vertical void of the Inkubator.

Acting simultaneously as a single building and a small neighborhood, the complex opens toward a central square, partially covered by a pergola and framed by an outdoor stage – creating a new public meeting point and urban gathering space. The project revitalizes a former industrial facility with a total usable area of 2,195.90 m², offering the community a platform for personal, creative, and cultural development. With this initiative, the City of Zabok establishes a central node for the cultural and creative sectors of Krapina-Zagorje County and the greater Zagreb metropolitan area.

The wayfinding system, designed by Marko Hrastovec and I, pays homage to the site’s industrial heritage – integrating carpet inlays as a subtle nod to the factory’s legacy and using raw aluminum profiles sourced from a local hardware store to develop a robust, modular signage system that complements the building’s architectural character. Hrastovec typeface was used throughout the signs, and he also designed the custom pictograms and bespoke numerals specifically for the project.

Node Wayfinding d.o.o.
Prilaz Gjure Deželića 12,
10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Contact
info@studionode.eu
+385 95 5588 890