The commission selected the proposal from P.P.Architects for the utilization of the Zlín hospital

Zlín - The expert committee selected the project by the Brno office P.P. Architects from four proposals for the future use of the T. Baťa Regional Hospital area in Zlín (KNTB). This was announced in a press release by the spokesperson of the regional authority, Adéla Kousalová. The region plans to build a new hospital on the other side of the city in Zlín-Malenovice and is therefore discussing the use of the hospital complex with the city.

Both the region and the city selected two architectural firms each that developed urban concepts. The firms have already presented their proposals. In the thirteen-member expert committee that evaluated them on Thursday, there were representatives from the city, the region, the state, and independent experts. The selected proposal must be approved by both the city and regional councilors.

A new neighborhood could emerge in the hospital complex area, primarily featuring housing, but also social services, administrative, and commercial spaces. The proposals, including the winning one, consider greater utilization of the river, and the resulting waterfront should be used for recreation and leisure activities. The preservation of the original Baťa buildings in the western part of the complex is also planned.

The proposal from the P.P. Architects studio envisions a significant connection with the waterfront. It retains some hospital buildings that can be further utilized, as well as the county hygiene station and ambulance service building. In the new central area, there could be apartments, commercial spaces, and parking structures are also proposed. In the western part, there could be spaces for senior living facilities as well as a polyclinic.

According to Governor Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL), the redevelopment of the area into a new urban district should begin immediately after the last hospital building is vacated. The region wants to retain the long-term care facility and maternity hospital in the location for its social services. The state is interested in the building that houses the hospital's management and the regional hygiene station, while the ambulance service headquarters will remain in its current location. "We will sell the remaining part of the complex to the city of Zlín because a new urban district will be created for its citizens," Čunek stated.

However, the city and the region have not yet agreed on the sale of land in the hospital complex, and no price has been set. The sale of land from the city to the region in Malenovice, where the new hospital is to be located, has also not been agreed upon. It is not ruled out that the agreement may wait until after the regional elections, as the construction of the new hospital, which has already been approved by the regional councilors but has critics as well, will be a major topic in the regional elections.

The approved proposal for the use of the hospital complex should be developed into an urban study, which will serve as a basis for subsequent changes to the zoning plan.