In the center of Zlín, there will be a 16-story tall building with offices, a hotel, and apartments

Zlín - In the center of Zlín, there will be a high-rise building with 16 floors featuring offices, rental housing, a hotel, and a rooftop observation terrace. The Prospect project will be located behind the Zlín department store, on the site of an unused bank building, and will enhance the Práce square. It will cost just under one billion crowns. The aim is to stimulate business life in the city and provide a new architectural impulse, said the project's investor and the main shareholder of the construction group PSG, Juraj Surovič, during today's presentation in Zlín.

The demolition of the bank building is planned for the summer. Construction of the Prospect is expected to begin before the end of this year and could be completed by the end of 2027. The general contractor will be the Otrokovice-based company PSG Construction.

"Zlín likes to proclaim itself as a city of endless possibilities, and I believe that. However, in the last 30 years, apart from the university buildings, only one truly significant structure has been built here, and that is the Congress Center. That’s why we are introducing this project, which gives Zlín new prospects. This includes business, architectural, and tourist opportunities. I want to show through this project the courage to take a new direction, fully utilize the potential of our city, and help restart Zlín, local entrepreneurs, architects, and all residents on the path to greater ambitions," Surovič stated.

The Prospect will consist of a high-rise building and an adjacent lower structure, which will house a hotel with 80 rooms. There will be 58 apartments, 3,700 square meters of office space, a gastronomy operation, an underground parking lot with about 200 parking spaces, and a pedestrian zone. The high-rise will be 58 meters tall and will be the second tallest building in the city after the Baťa skyscraper. "We want to create a glass crystal that will reflect the Baťa architecture in the surrounding area," said architect Juraj Sonlajtner, who also participated in the renovation of factory buildings 14 and 15 for the Baťa Institute.

"A significant location and ambitious project is a challenge for any architect. Gahura's Prospect is the most valuable urban ensemble in the region. Therefore, it was difficult to find a way to build in such a valuable environment while respectfully complementing the structure of Gahura's Prospect and redefining the atmosphere of Práce square. The new dominant object, Prospect, will connect with the Baťa skyscraper, the Interhotel Zlín, and the well-reconstructed department store. The architecture of the building should be timeless, free of fashion trends. I believe our project will be a worthy addition to Baťa architecture, the quality of which has been proven over time," Sonlajtner added.

The Office of the Architect of the City of Zlín agrees with the proposal. "From an architectural perspective, the building represents traditional rationality of Zlín architecture while also utilizing contemporary solutions. The glass structural facade of the tower symbolically and factually reflects the surrounding iconic buildings from the Baťa era while retaining confidence and originality," said the office's director, Jindřich Nový. Zlín's mayor Jiří Korec (ANO) also appreciated the proposal. "I am glad that a private investor has come forward who wants to invest in Zlín. This will move Zlín forward," the mayor stated.