Visitors can newly walk through the entire terrace of the Baťa skyscraper

Zlín - Visitors can now walk through the entire terrace on the 16th floor of the Zlín Baťa skyscraper, which houses the regional and financial offices. Until now, only its eastern part was accessible. In the western part of the terrace, people will find a sizable bronze model depicting the city in the 1950s. They are also provided with binoculars similar to those on American skyscrapers, said governor Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL) to reporters today.

The model of the city was designed by the company ellement architects. According to designer Jan Pavézka, it is five meters long and 2.2 meters wide. It weighs over half a ton and was created based on period aerial maps. "We created 3D data, which was then printed on a 3D printer. It was subsequently shaped in wax and cast in bronze. It is definitely one of the largest bronze models made using this technology in Central Europe," Pavézka stated.

The western part of the terrace is part of a new tour circuit around the heritage-protected building with a uniform information and orientation system. The exhibitions on the eighth and second floors have also been modernized, with architect Petr Všetečka as the main designer. Entry to them remains free.

On the eighth floor, designed in a style reminiscent of the 1940s, visitors will now encounter a bust of Jan Antonín Baťa by sculptor Radim Hanke. It complements the bust of his half-brother Tomáš Baťa by František Lydie Gahura at the opposite end of the hallway. Both are life-sized. In creating the new bust, Hanke utilized his rich archive of historical photographs and film footage. According to him, the resulting likeness of Jan Antonín Baťa is from the early 1930s. "In my concept, he looks a bit more focused here and more like a boss than in the monument (in front of the building), where he has a slight smile," Hanke said.

In the exhibition on the second floor, the regional government had the interior and furnishings adjusted, including photographic and textual panels. It also features a four-minute animated film about the Baťa skyscraper and architect Vladimír Karfík, based on whose design the building was created. A new multimedia panel allows visitors an interactive tour of the building.

By modernizing the exhibitions, the regional government concluded the more than year-long reconstruction of the skyscraper. It cost 84 million crowns, with over 70 million crowns coming from grants from the Integrated Regional Operational Program. Among other things, it included repairs to the low-voltage substation, restoration of floors on the third floor, modernization of the entrance to the building, refurbishment of the paternoster or circular elevator, and replacement of all four high-speed elevators.

The construction of the skyscraper was completed in 1938, becoming the new headquarters of the Baťa shoe company. At a height of 77.5 meters, it was the tallest building in Central Europe at the time of its completion. The building underwent a complete renovation from 2003 to 2004.