Zlin

Skyscraper
The Zlín skyscraper, known as “twentyone”, was completed in 1938 according to a design by architect Vladimír Karfík. This 72 m high building was the highest building in Czechoslovakia before the war.
A real technical treat is the lift, (the office of T. Baťa) 5 x 5 metres in dimension with airconditioning and a washbasin. Tube mail and electrical outlets on the floor are a matter of course. Today, the culmination of Karfík’s work is a immovable cultural monument from the Functionalist period.

House of Arts
This monument was built in the spirit of Zlín Functionalism, the author was the famous Zlín architect F. L. Gahura. This memorial to Tomáš Baťa, Gahura‘s most powerful architectonic work, is a modern imitation of High Gothic: only the buttress system and colourful stained glass, reinforced concrete skeleton and glass. Today, it houses the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra (an eighty member orchestra ranking among the leading Czech symphonic orchestras) and the Regional Gallery of Creative Arts in Zlín (focused on Czech art of the 19th and 20th centuries, the problems of Zlín between the wars, its architecture and urbanism). Annual events include a competition for young concert artists, the Talentinum, and the Zlín Musical Spring.

T. Baťa Villa
Construction on the villa began in 1901 by the firm of František Novák from Vizovice, according to his own plans. Tomáš Baťa was not satisfied with the result, however, and just prior to its completion, he had the villa revised by a professor of the Prague Academy of Creative Arts, the architect Jan Kotěra. It was completed in 1911 according to one of Kotěra’s designs. The painter Kysela contributed to the decor of the interior, the garden was designed by the architect Thomayer. In 1926, part of the interior was modified by Gahura, in 1937 a garage was added and one year later the architect Karfík designed a pool in
the garden. In 1998, the reconstructed villa
was opened ceremoniously. Today individual
rooms bearing the names of the protagonists
(J. Baťa, D. Čipera, M. Baťová, H. Vavrečka etc.)
house business meetings, meetings of
the administrative and supervisory boards,
various social and educational events,
presentations, chamber concerts
and exhibitions.

Zlín Château
Zlín Château stands on the site of a former medieval stronghold. The originally Renaissance
building was rebuilt into Baroque form in the 18th century. Currently, three permanent exhibitions
are housed in the Zlín château. The first is an exhibition devoted to the ethnography, olklore,
linguistics and education of František Bartoš. In the second exhibition, called “S inženýry Hanzelkou
a Zikmundem” (With ngineers Hanzel and Zikmund), the five continents are presented alongside
the personal documents and information as well as some parts of the ear of these famous Czech
travellers. Finally, the third exhibit, called Zlínské Filmové studio od reklamy k tvorbě pro děti”
(The Zlín Film Studio from Advertising through Creations for Children) presents the lín Film Studio
including the work of Hermína Týrlová and Karel eman. Other museum exhibitions are located
in the Obuvnické muzeum and the Malenovice Castle. The Muzeum jihovýchodní Moravy ve Zlíně
(Museum of Southeastern Moravia in Zlín) also administers the árodní kulturní památník Ploština.

UTB
Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín, with
8,500 students, ranks among the medium-
-sized universities in the Czech Republic.
The former Technological Faculty began
existence in 1969 as part of the VUT in Brno
and graduated hundreds of professionals
primarily for the rubber and plastics industries.
The university is named after Tomáš Baťa.
His son, Canadian businessman Tomáš Baťa jr.,
now heads the administrative board
of the university.