Zlín Town Hall and the region will transform the Baťa house into a museum

Zlín - The Zlín City Hall is completing the transformation of a Baťa house in the city center into a museum showcasing the living style during the Baťa era. The house is part of the city's heritage zone and is expected to open to visitors at the beginning of next year. The city is collaborating with the Museum of Southeast Moravia in Zlín, which is funded by the region. After the construction adjustments are completed, experts will furnish the house with period interiors, said Deputy Mayor Irena Ondrová to reporters today.
    "The house should look as if people lived there, just having perhaps left for work or entertainment. There should be period furniture, dishes, and clothing," Ondrová told ČTK. The building was constructed in the 1930s for officials of the Baťa company. The city has allocated nearly one million crowns for the renovation, which is expected to be completed in October. It was necessary to reconstruct, for example, the damp walls and utility installations.
    The city chose the house on Nad Ovčírnou Street also because of its unique location. The building stands alone among taller structures, former Baťa dormitories. "It stands out more than in the dense area of Baťa houses like Letná or Zálešná. Moreover, it lies on some kind of imaginary route connecting significant buildings from the Baťa era," the deputy remarked.
    Visitors could thus walk from the 21st building, the so-called Baťa skyscraper, to the House of Art, which is set to be transformed back into a memorial for Tomáš Baťa. "From there, they could go to the Collective House and the reconstructed Small Stage; these are the most valuable buildings of interwar Baťa architecture," Ondrová added.
    The city is now negotiating with the region about who will operate the museum of Baťa housing. The annual operational expenses are estimated at about 450,000 crowns, with the exact amount to be determined by the director of the Museum of Southeast Moravia. It is expected that a museum staff member would also guide visitors through the house.
    Baťa houses formed entire neighborhoods that were created in Zlín, especially in the 1930s, to accommodate the workforce of the rapidly developing Baťa factories. A typical feature is the brick facades. They make up the majority of the city's heritage zone, which is defined by the city limits of 1939. This zone includes about 1,750 buildings in the areas of Letná, Lazy, Podvesná, Zálešná, Díly, and the factory complex in the center of Zlín. About 30,000 of the city's approximately 78,000 inhabitants live in these areas.