Info markers Eindhoven Design District

Eindhoven is home to remarkable examples of innovative design—if you know where to look. To make these hidden gems more accessible, we partnered with Dutch Design Foundation, George&Harrison, and Studio Guilty to create a series of design-worthy information markers. Starting this month, you can spot them along the design route at Strijp. The festive unveiling took place on Thursday, October 21.

Robert Strijk, the city councilor overseeing Eindhoven Design District, had the honor of unveiling the first marker. In the presence of press, designers, and other collaborators, he revealed the marker near Maarten Baas’s yellow chair, the Chinese Pavilion, and the iconic chimney. The official unveiling was the crowning achievement of a long-running project. After all, as a city brimming with design talent, we can’t simply put up basic information signs. We went all in!

An open call Eindhoven designers

Back in 2023, we organized a What if Lab to invite Eindhoven-based designers to help conceptualize the Eindhoven Design District information markers. The challenge was far from simple. The markers needed to stand out, be instantly recognizable, and adapt to various uses: identifying buildings, areas, or objects, marking a route, or highlighting a temporary installation. Plus, they had to share a unified look and feel, forming one cohesive “family.”

The quest for the perfect concrete print

The winning design, featuring 3D-printed concrete and colored alucobond, came from Tijs Gilde of Studio Guilty. From there, the journey from concept to production began. Tijs collaborated with Eindhoven’s concrete powerhouse, Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix, to refine the prints. Alongside a concrete printing specialist, Tijs translated his designs into printable models. Then it was time for extensive testing: How does the material behave? Is the structure strong enough? And how does the final printed object look? He went through a similar process with Faber Exposize to design the signage on the concrete markers. Want to learn more about the development of the markers? Check out the case on eindhovendesigndistrict.com.

From concept to reality

Next, we hopped on our bikes with Tijs to visit every location along the Strijp design route. Together, we decided which type of marker would suit each spot. In addition to finding suitable spots for the markers, we crafted the text and collaborated with George&Harrison on the visual design of the information. Meanwhile, Dutch Design Foundation handled permits with the city council and Trudo and oversaw the production process.

Next stop: the city center

This project took time, effort, and a whole lot of energy, but we couldn’t be prouder of the result. The markers not only look incredible but also make Eindhoven’s design legacy much more visible and immersive. Over the coming months, we’ll keep up the momentum by developing markers for the city center and KnoopXL. Can’t wait? The design routes for these areas are already available online!