Educational complex UTB in Zlín open for students

AI - DESIGN, a leading Czech architectural studio, has completed its third building in Zlín. During the two years from 2015 to 2017, a new building for Tomas Bata University was constructed in the center of Zlín on Štefánikova Street. The authors of the project are the world-renowned architect and Zlín native Eva Jiřičná, along with architects Petr Vágner and Jura Bečička from the AI - DESIGN studio. The building was ceremonially opened in December and has been fully utilized by students of the Faculty of Humanities since the summer semester of 2018. The same studio previously designed the nearby Congress and University Center in Zlín.

"In the design process, we were quite restricted. We had to adhere to the width and length of the blocks, and we were limited by both space and height. Therefore, two blocks were created that mirror the surrounding buildings, between which we placed the entrance area and the atrium," said Eva Jiřičná in an interview for the university magazine Universalia.

"We tried to adapt the university building to best meet the needs of students and staff. We are currently fine-tuning the last details with the university, selecting panels for the walls that students and educators could use. Our aim is for the interiors to function well both aesthetically and practically," explains Petr Vágner.

The newly constructed Educational Complex of UTB consists of two identical wings with six above-ground floors, mutually connected by a ground-level entrance building. 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 on the first above-ground floor includes classrooms, offices, an exhibition gallery, communication, and technical rooms. The upper floors house 13 seminar rooms, 4 specialized healthcare classrooms, 5 multimedia language classrooms, a computer lab, teachers' offices, and meeting rooms. There are also specialized classrooms for nursing education, multimedia classrooms for language and interpretation teaching, a classroom for music education, and a Student Club.

The ensemble of two dominant buildings is connected by two underground levels, which house parking for 87 vehicles and operational facilities for the complex. The building is accessible in central Zlín by car, public transport, and on foot, located in close proximity to other university buildings and the congress center.

With its orientation and architectural design, the building respects the urban planning system in the area and flows seamlessly into the existing development. The Educational Complex is the third building that the AI - DESIGN studio has designed 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 contemporary building in Zlín.

The building was ceremonially opened in December 2017 and has been available to students since the summer semester of 2018.
On the occasion of the opening, an exhibition of photographs titled The Staircase of Eva Jiřičná was launched on the ground floor of the building, prepared by the university in collaboration with the Faculty of Multimedia Communications and the AI - DESIGN studio. The exhibition showcases staircases from buildings and interiors from around the world, by which prof. Jiřičná has become famous and through which she is referred to as the first lady of high-tech architecture. The exhibition is also open to the public until the beginning of May.