The Zlín Town Hall is selling seats from the House of Art, also as a souvenir

Zlín - The Zlín Town Hall is selling seats from the former House of Art, where the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic performed a few years ago. It is quite a rarity; nothing else has been sold from the House of Art and probably won't be, the seats can still practically serve a purpose, or they may be a reminder of an unforgettable concert, Zdeněk Dvořák, spokesperson for the Zlín Town Hall, said today to ČTK. The space of the former House of Art is now empty; the philharmonic moved out in 2010, and the city wants to return the building to its original form as the Tomáš Baťa Memorial.
    "There are a total of 580 seats grouped into smaller sets. As the House of Art will be returned to the form of the Tomáš Baťa Memorial, they will no longer be needed. Therefore, interested parties can acquire them," said Deputy Mayor Dalibor Stříbný (ANO). The price for a seat has not been set; it will be determined by the amount of the offer.
    The Tomáš Baťa Memorial, built in 1933, was designed by architect František L. Gahura and is considered one of the most valuable buildings in the regional city. It commemorates the founder of the shoe empire, Tomáš Baťa, who died in a plane crash in 1932.
    In the 1950s, the building was reconstructed and used as the House of Art by the Zlín Philharmonic and the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts. However, conditions in it had become unsuitable in recent years. The philharmonic moved to a congress center designed by architect Eva Jiřičná, and the gallery relocated to the Baťa Institute.
    The empty building now needs repairs. The town hall will need about 70 million crowns for it. The city wants the building to serve again as a memorial. The external appearance of the building should return to its 1930s form, while debates about the internal layout are still ongoing among architects. The building closes the rising park prospect between the Baťa dormitories in the city center.