The construction part of the restoration of the T. Baťa Memorial will cost 35 million CZK

Zlín - The construction part of the renovation of the Thomas Bata Memorial in Zlín will cost nearly 35 million crowns without VAT, said Zdeněk Dvořák, spokesperson for the Zlín city hall, to ČTK today. The entire project will cost around 70 million crowns, and the memorial commemorating the founder of the shoemaking empire will include a new exhibition.

The building, constructed in 1933, is one of the most valuable in the regional city and was designed by architect František L. Gahura. The memorial commemorated Tomáš Baťa, who died in an airplane crash in 1932. In the 1950s, the memorial was rebuilt and used as the House of Art by the Zlín Philharmonic and the regional gallery of visual arts. However, both entities moved to new premises a few years ago, and the building remained closed. The city hall then decided to restore the building and return it to its original purpose.

The contract for the construction modifications was awarded to the company Zlínstav, and work will begin this year, with completion expected within two years. "A total of five companies applied for this contract. Based on the recommendations of the selection committee, the council chose the most advantageous one," said the mayor's deputy Jiří Korec (ANO).

The memorial will return to its original form after the reconstruction, with extensions from the 1950s being removed. "Iron, concrete, and primarily glass will be used in the reconstruction, which are materials that architect František Lydie Gahura worked with," said the spokesperson.

The interior of the memorial will be variable, featuring an airplane that was also part of the original memorial. "Tomáš Baťa spent the last seconds of his life in it. The airplane thus became the fundamental motif of the entire original exhibition. It was placed in the entrance hall created over two floors in the western part of the building. The engine of the crashed airplane was also displayed in the hall," said Dagmar Nová, head of the urban planning and architecture department of the city hall.

The city received a grant of 32 million crowns from the Ministry of Culture for the renovation, with the remainder being paid from its budget.