Zlín is awaiting the position of heritage workers regarding the restoration of the Grand Cinema

Zlín - The Zlín Town Hall is awaiting a statement from heritage conservationists regarding the restoration of the Grand Cinema, which has been closed since March 2016 due to structural issues. The National Heritage Institute is expected to issue a professional opinion in the first half of this year, which will then define the task for the architectural competition that will yield a proposal for the reconstruction of the building, said the town hall spokesperson Zdeněk Dvořák today to ČTK.

The Grand Cinema was built in 1932 by the Baťa company according to a design attributed to architect František L. Gahura. The original seating capacity of the auditorium reached up to 2270 seats, which has gradually been reduced to the current 1010 seats. It is the largest cinema hall operating year-round in the country.

"We last met with the National Heritage Institute in December of last year at their premises in Prague. It appears they will recommend that we retain the original metal structure of the Grand Cinema as much as possible, while also creating a completely new structure that will allow for modernization and multi-functional use of the building. Regarding the exterior appearance, we agree with the heritage conservationists that the 'shoebox' shape, meaning the original appearance of the building, will be preserved," stated Mayor Miroslav Adámek (STAN).

The city is already seeking future uses for the building. "It must be multifunctional, there is no doubt about that. Given the necessity to retain the hall as much as possible, we do not expect the Grand Cinema to be economically self-sufficient. Its value lies elsewhere. However, it is also essential to organizationally link the Grand Cinema with the Congress Center, which has great economic potential in the future. We will strive to use it to the fullest extent possible, and the space of the Grand Cinema will help us with that. The result could then be a joint non-loss operation of these two dominant facilities," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Korec (ANO).

The fate of the Grand Cinema is being addressed by a professional group that includes heritage conservationists, representatives of the town hall, as well as architects, structural engineers, and representatives of the Zlín Film Festival for Children and Youth, who have traditionally used the building and would like to return to it.