KOMA opened a pavilion originally made for the Expo on its premises

Vizovice (Zlínsko) - The Vizovice manufacturer of modular systems, KOMA Modular, today opened a pavilion to the public in its area as part of Architecture Day, which it produced for the World Expo 2015 in Milan. After modifications, the company will use it as an administrative building, with a display area included. The main shape of the pavilion remains unchanged, neither its size nor structure changed, but the interior needed to be adapted, said the company's director Stanislav Martinec to ČTK today.

"We had to transition from the hot days in Milan, where it was exposed over the summer; we had to prepare the entire building for the fact that it would be here for years, decades, and we had to prepare it for the harsh Wallachian winters. So we insulated it, added various technologies, it is an energy-efficient building," Martinec stated.

The interior space of the building has an industrial feel. "There is no drywall here, there is iron, wood, glass, typical industrial elements. It is a tribute to Tomáš Baťa, so he might have seen his offices this way if he were alive," Martinec noted. The interior space is open to the roof, with an art piece running from the first floor to the ceiling—a spiral canvas with colorful motifs created by Barbora Šlapetová, which contrasts with the industrial environment. It symbolically represents the story of KOMA. In front of the building and on its roof are sculptures of birds by Lukáš Rittstein.

The ground floor of the building is open to the public, currently hosting an exhibition about the Czech Republic's participation in Expo exhibitions, with office spaces on two floors. There is seating and an herb garden on the roof with views of the company's area, nature, and Vizovice. Next year, a modular development center is expected to be added to the area.

The return of the pavilion to Vizovice, along with all related work and modifications, cost the company over 100 million crowns. Just the demolition of the original buildings in the area and the land modifications with the construction of foundations cost 40 million crowns. The reconstruction of the building cost 70 million crowns. "We have 42 modules from Expo, the lower structure, an elevator, half of the slats are from Expo, and half are new," Martinec explained.

The company, employing about 250 people, according to the director, after years of heavily producing modules mainly for refugee accommodation, is now working on more demanding projects. "We are currently working on a hotel for Paris, a cultural center, and a kindergarten. These are quite challenging projects, technically more demanding," said the director, who plans to create a Koma village in the valley opposite the company area, where architects would design modular houses.