Otrokovice prepared walks mapping the Baťa architecture

Otrokovice (Zlín Region) - The town hall in Otrokovice has prepared a series of walks for the summer that will map the local Baťa architecture. The city underwent significant development during the interwar period in connection with the growth of the Baťa company in neighboring Zlín. In the 1930s, the city was the first and closest of a series of sister production units for the Baťa company and was of key importance, being purposefully built to offset the shortcomings of the rapidly growing Zlín, especially in transportation and operations, said Lenka Vaculová, spokesperson for the Otrokovice town hall, today to ČTK.
    New factories, Baťa houses, an airport, and a navigation canal were built in Otrokovice. The walks titled "Come with Baťa" will take place one weekend each month from June to September. Experts in architecture, history, sociology, and the history of architecture will guide participants to map the activities of the Baťa company in Otrokovice, the spokesperson noted.
    Architects Jitka Ressová and Barbora Vacková will discuss the possibilities of Baťa housing in the past and its current use, while a picnic and walk with Klára Eliášová will bring closer the construction of civic amenities in the city. "Another guest, the group Brno plays on emotions, will draw participants directly into the center of events in their city play and will attempt to playfully reconstruct the period Baťa atmosphere. In September, the series of walks will be concluded by Zdeněk Pokluda with a theme focused on the Otrokovice airport and the adjacent colony for employees of the aviation industry," Vaculová stated.
    The town hall organized the walks also in consideration of this year's 120th anniversary of the foundation of the Baťa company and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tomáš Baťa Jr.