Building of the Year 2017 of the Zlín Region
Grand Prix Award of architect Pavel Novák
Award of the Governor of Zlín Region
Grand Prix of the Union of Architects 2018 – New Building – honorable mention
During the two years 2015-17, a new building of Tomas Bata University was constructed in the center of Zlín on Štefánikova Street. In December, the building was ceremonially opened, and from the summer semester of 2018, it has been fully utilized by students of the Faculty of Humanities.
"In the design, we were quite constrained. We had to adhere to the width and length of the blocks; we were limited by space and height. Therefore, two blocks were created following the surrounding buildings, between which we placed the entrance area and the auditorium," stated Eva Jiřičná in an interview for the university magazine Universalia.
"We tried to adapt the university building so that it best suits the needs of students and staff. We are currently fine-tuning the final details with the university; we are selecting panels for the walls that students and teachers could use. Our goal is to ensure that the interiors function both aesthetically and practically," explains Petr Vágner.
The new Educational Complex of UTB consists of two identical wings with six above-ground floors, interconnected by a ground floor entrance area. The ground floor features a foyer with a reception, a large lecture hall for 240 people, and three smaller lecture halls for 98, 70, and 72 people. The remaining area of the first above-ground floor contains classrooms, offices, an exhibition gallery, communication, and technical rooms. The other above-ground floors house 13 seminar rooms, 4 specialized healthcare classrooms, 5 multimedia language classrooms, a computer classroom, teacher's offices, and meeting rooms. Specialized classrooms for nursing education, as well as multimedia classrooms for language and interpreting education, a music education classroom, and a Student Club are also included.
The complex of two dominant buildings is connected by two below-ground floors, which house garages for 87 vehicles and operational technical facilities for the complex. The building is accessible by private cars, public transport, and on foot in the center of Zlín, located in close proximity to other university buildings and the congress center.
Designed in its orientation and architectural solution, the building respects the urban system of the area and smoothly connects with the existing buildings. The Educational Complex is already the third building designed by the AI - DESIGN studio for the city of Zlín and Tomas Bata University. The first is the nearby University Center, and the second building is the Congress Center. It can be expected that the Educational Complex of UTB will become another significant modern structure in Zlín.
