Zlín University has started the construction of the Faculty of Technology building for 653 million CZK

Zlín – Today, Tomas Bata University in Zlín (UTB) commenced the construction of a new building for the Faculty of Technology (FT) in the city center. The original building dates back to the 1930s and was part of the industrial complex of the Baťa company. Due to poor structural integrity, it was demolished last year. A new building will be constructed on the same site, costing 653 million crowns. The construction will take two years, and according to the plan, the faculty will start using it by March 2027 at the latest, said UTB Rector Milan Adámek today during the laying of the foundation stone.

"The new building volumetrically and positionally mirrors the replaced old building, and in its architectural expression, materials used, and facade division, it connects with the surrounding structures in a traditional Zlín industrial conception," the rector stated.

The design author is Vladislav Vrána from the Brno Atelier 2002. The building will have six above-ground and one partial underground technical floors. There will be teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and offices in the building. The Institute of Production Engineering, the Institute of Polymer Engineering, the Institute of Physics and Materials Engineering, the dean's office, and the faculty administration will all have their place here.

"When we were in the original spaces, we adapted to what we inherited from the Tomas Baťa company. Now we had the opportunity to prepare the spaces to suit us as best as possible. Primarily, this allowed us to create large halls. The original building did not have large hall laboratories, which are essential if you are engaged in engineering. Engineering entails large machines, crane tracks, and we will be able to build this in the first above-ground floor," FT Dean Roman Čermák told journalists today.

The faculty has about 1200 students and nearly 200 employees. "The new building U1 will significantly help realize new study programs focused on semiconductor materials and technologies, as well as the study program in Radiological Assistance," the dean noted.

The building is designed to meet passive energy standards. "The use of modern technologies such as energy-saving lighting, photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, high-quality thermal insulation of the building envelope, and energy consumption management will reduce operating costs and eliminate the ecological impact of the building's operation on the environment," stated Pavel Blažek, head of the investment and property department at UTB.

The new building will cost 653 million crowns. UTB received 201 million crowns from the Ministry of Education, 60 million from European subsidies, and 192 million from the university's own funds. The Zlín Region provided 200 million crowns. "Tomas Bata University is the most significant educational institution in the Zlín Region and is our key partner. In March, we signed an agreement on long-term cooperation with the rector, followed by a contract defining its first concrete steps. This mainly involves new study programs, the establishment of which we initiated at the university, as they are very important for the further development of the region. Some of them will be taught in the new building of the Faculty of Technology, which is why we supported its construction," said Governor Radim Holiš (ANO).

The construction is planned to be completed in October 2026. After that, the building will be equipped, and the faculty should start using it by March 2027 at the latest.