Zlín behind the scenes - Thomas Bata

Join us on our last stop: Thomas Bata Memorial and learn about him and his work

As we heard before most of Zlín was build after 1900. Thomas Bata, the owner of the shoe factory and later employer of 80% of Zlíns inhabitants, started to buy land in the 20s. He started to build more factory buildings and houses for the workers using the same model again and again. The design was simple and suited its purpose, the main materials were bricks and concrete.

Thomas Bata Memorial- a modern gothic chapel

However one building is different: His own monument. It is designed by František Lydie Gahura and built out of concrete and glass, throning on a hill over the park like a chapel. And still it follows the minimalistic principals, having hardly any furniture or decorations inside but being open and offering a lot of free space. The location is chosen because of its central position, and the surrounding learning institutions.

The official opening of the building was in 1933. One year after Thomas Bata died in an airplane crash. Today a replica of this plane is inside the memorial and visible right after one enters the building. Apart from this one notices the special lights, which were designed for the monument. The floor is one piece of concrete and even the stairs leading to the second and third floor do not use any other material.

Every second year the “Young Architcts Zlín" are allowed to make an exhibition in the third floor of the building. Apart from this very few events take place inside the memorial. They all have to be connected with the architecture and concepts used for the city.