The renovation of two buildings of the former Baťa factory will begin within two years

Zlín - Work on the regional cultural and educational center, which will be created by renovating and completing buildings 14 and 15 of the former Baťa factory in Zlín, could begin at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. The Zlín region estimates the costs at 880 million crowns. They intend to obtain financial support primarily from the European Union, and they also count on support from the Ministry of Culture as well as their own funds. This was stated to journalists today by the statutory deputy governor Libor Lukáš (ODS).
    The regional gallery, regional library, and the Museum of Southeast Moravia in Zlín will relocate to the buildings.
    The regional office will announce an architectural competition for the project. The authors of the first three successful proposals will receive a prize ranging from 800,000 to one million crowns. "We want to attract prestigious architects from the Czech Republic. We consider the renovation of the Baťa complex to be a very professional matter," said Lukáš.
    A nine-member expert jury will evaluate the proposals. Among them will be Miroslav Masák, who was behind the renovation of the Veletržní Palace in Prague, Emil Přikryl, head of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and Pavel Zatloukal, director of the Museum of Art in Olomouc.
    All three institutions that are to move to the former factory area currently reside in inadequate facilities. The buildings, which are variously distributed throughout the city, are dilapidated, and the organizations also find them inadequate for capacity reasons. Lukáš expects that if the Zlín region were to undertake repairs of the existing locations, it would invest a similar amount to the currently estimated costs of renovating buildings 14 and 15.
    Building number 14 is to house the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts alongside the Museum of Southeast Moravia in Zlín, while building number 15 is designated for the František Bartoš Regional Library with an integrated tourist information center.