The reconstruction of Zlín's Grand Cinema could be ready by the end of 2023

Zlín – The renovation of the Zlín Great Cinema could be ready by the end of 2023. This was stated today by the mayor of Zlín, Jiří Korec, at a press conference of the Zlín Film Festival for Children and Youth. The cinema, built in 1932 by the Baťa company, has been utilized by the festival organizers. However, it has been closed since 2016 due to structural issues.

The city previously announced its intention to renovate the cinema. The Zlín city council approved the winning project for the cinema's restoration in September two years ago, which was designed by the Prague architectural studio re:architekti. For the first time, the city conducted the competition in the form of a so-called competitive dialogue, allowing for intervention and feedback on the proposals. Heritage conservationists requested that as much of the original structure as possible be preserved during the restoration. It was the largest cinema in the country at its time. The original seating capacity reached up to 2,270 seats, which has gradually been reduced to the current 1,010 seats. However, the building has suffered damage from wars, poor maintenance, and subsequent additional loads.

Korec reminded today that this is a financially demanding project. It is expected to require about 300 million crowns. "It's a significant amount. The city has decided to save the building; the investment will have to be justifiable to the citizens, and the cinema must be usable year-round. It is a matter for the future leadership of the city; the project will be prepared," said Korec. However, according to him, the city will not be able to carry out the reconstruction without external financing. According to the winning proposal, the cinema will be the dominant feature of the building, but it will be a multifunctional hall. Korec mentioned today that it is not counted on being a year-round cinema.

The President of the Zlín Film Festival, Čestmír Vančura, stated that the festival organizers are missing the cinema. "We will provide our feedback on this. We are interested in the future operational model, how many days the cinema will be used, and how many days for other operations. We are keen on having the festival there and ensuring that it can be held under standard conditions," said Vančura. According to him, the building should also be used outside of the festival.