In the competition Building of the Year in the Zlín Region, the Baťa Institute succeeded

14/15 Bat'a Institute in Zlín

Zlín - The Grand Prix of architect Pavel Novák was awarded last year to the 14/15 Bat'a Institute in Zlín in the competition for the most valuable construction project in the Zlín Region. It houses a newly established regional gallery, regional library, and the Museum of Southeast Moravia. The institute was created by restoring factory buildings 14 and 15 in the former Baťa industrial complex in the city center, with the project costing over 900 million crowns.
    The results of the twelfth year of the Building of the Year competition in the Zlín Region in all seven categories were announced today to journalists by the chairwoman of the jury and the chief architect of Zlín, Dagmar Nová. A total of 55 buildings were entered into the competition, four fewer than last year.
    The Grand Prix of architect Pavel Novák, named after the late chief architect of the city of Zlín who was involved in founding the competition, has only been awarded twice in the history of the competition. In 2006, it was awarded to the Zlín Business and Innovation Centre, which is also located in the Baťa complex.
    The jury praised the Bat'a Institute for its construction quality as well as the entire process from the international architectural competition to its actual realization. According to Nová, the building is also significant for its contribution to revitalizing the eastern part of the former factory area.
    The institute also received an award in the category of buildings for civic amenities, which had the highest number of entries, totaling 13. In the category of residential buildings, the main prize went to a multifunctional house in Uherské Hradiště, while the jury was impressed by a house in the Zlín district of Prštné among family houses. Among industrial and agricultural buildings, the manufacturing complex of Mitas in Otrokovice scored points, and the most highly valued building in the category of transport, engineering, and ecological structures was the reconstruction of road I/49 between Otrokovice and Malenovice. In the category of development programs for municipalities and towns, the revitalization of Gahurov Prospect in Zlín succeeded, while in the section for buildings realized outside the region, designed or built by architects and builders from the area, the jury chose the Radějov Pusté hunting ground.
    The Governor's award from Stanislav Mišák was given for the reconstruction and expansion of the water treatment plant in Kroměříž, and the journalists' award went to a corporate kindergarten in Otrokovice built from modular containers.
    The number of registered buildings in this year's competition pleased the jury. "The number of buildings is not decreasing, although there has been talk of a crisis in construction for several years. The buildings are extremely diverse, ranging from small family houses to large manufacturing complexes," noted Nová. According to her words, all the registered buildings this year were very well executed, and builders are reportedly becoming increasingly skilled at working with expensive materials and sophisticated technologies.