Zlín University has begun the construction of the Educational Complex

Zlín - Tomas Bata University in Zlín today started the construction of the Educational Complex. The building will be located in the center of the regional city, in close proximity to the congress and university center, designed by architect Eva Jiřičná. The native of Zlín also designed the Educational Complex, which will serve the Faculty of Humanities. The construction will take less than two years and will cost 415 million crowns, said the bursar Alexander Černý today during the laying of the foundation stone.

"The lecture halls, seminar rooms, and offices for up to 4000 students and 150 teachers will primarily serve the teaching of humanities, but not only that," said rector Petr Sáha. The complex will consist of two buildings with six above-ground floors, connected by a central part with a large lecture hall. Two underground floors will be reserved for parking and technical facilities of the building. "The building respects the urban planning system in the area with its orientation and architectural design and smoothly connects to the existing development on the southern side," said the rector.

In the middle of the buildings will be an atrium. "It is a central space that has daylight and where daily circulation takes place. All rooms throughout the building are well lit. We tried to be as energy-efficient as we could. Above all, the building must be cheerful. The life of young people, if it is not cheerful during their studies, then there is no hope that it will improve at any time in life. If a person cannot go through life with humor and optimism, they won't get far," Jiřičná told reporters today, adding that the Educational Complex also bears some elements typical of her work, but it is different from the congress and university center. Jiřičná has been living permanently in London and returned to Zlín today after several years, but she will commute there every two weeks due to the construction.

The Educational Complex will be used by the Faculty of Humanities, which is currently spread across several buildings. "I am very happy. We expect that we will all be together and will be able to cooperate more and connect our fields," said the faculty dean Anežka Lengálová to ČTK, noting that conditions for students with disabilities will also improve in the new building. The faculty currently has 2000 students, with great interest in fields such as social pedagogy, teaching for kindergartens, philology, and general nursing.

The construction will be 80 percent funded by a grant from the state budget, with the rest covered by the university. The Educational Complex was supposed to be built earlier, but the start of construction was delayed due to the selection process for the construction contractor.