Petr Všetečka: The Memorial of Tomáš Baťa - Zlín's horror vacui?

We cordially invite you to a lecture by Petr Všetečka on the restoration of the Tomáš Baťa Memorial. Petr Všetečka has long been engaged in the issue of restoring the T. Baťa Memorial and has participated, among other things, in the restoration of the 21st administrative building of the Baťa company. The lecture will take place on April 16, 2015, at 7:00 PM in the Chamber Hall at the Small Stage in Zlín.

The Tomáš Baťa Memorial building is the culmination of F. L. Gahura's work and also a symbolic end to one of the most adventurous chapters in the history of the city of Zlín.
Gahura designed a structure that provoked with its radical simplicity at the time of its creation just as it does today. With his, in the truest sense of the word, minimalist approach, he gave rise to a unique building far exceeding the city's boundaries. This architectural gem holds the same significance for Zlín as the Tugendhat Villa does for Brno. Although its inception was marked by sad circumstances surrounding Tomáš Baťa's death, the existence of the Memorial can still be regarded as a celebration of life and work.
In the 1950s, the Memorial underwent an insensitive modification for the needs of the philharmonic. Naturally, its name was also changed to the House of Art. This intervention into the logic of the building completely denied its original significance and severely undermined its qualities, which was characteristic of the totalitarian period.
Today we face the question of how to deal with a building that is among the most valuable of the architectural cultural heritage in Zlín. Given the fact that the city lacks greater experience in restoring such an architecturally significant and high-quality building, it would be highly appropriate to approach the future of the Tomáš Baťa Memorial responsibly, with a consciousness of its importance both in the structure of the city and in the minds of the people of Zlín.

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