FOR VISITORS
The Gateway to Baťa's Zlín
The regional culture and education centre 14|15 BAŤA INSTITUTE is located in the centre of Zlín. The modern complex was created by converting two manufacturing buildings of the former Baťa factory complex, and its location in close proximity to the railway and bus stations makes it a figurative gateway to Baťa's Zlín, a functionalist garden city. The name of the complex alone is an indication that it houses the legacy of the brilliant entrepreneur and shoemaker Tomáš Baťa, whose skill and values spread throughout the world.
Past and Present
The cultural complex is situated in buildings 14 and 15, built between 1946 and 1949 as manufacturing buildings according to designs by architect Jiří Voženílek. The original pre-war buildings with the same numbers were destroyed in bombardments during the Second World War. Two former factory buildings then underwent careful reconstruction work that was able to preserve a number of original features.
Since 2013, the complex has been home to the Museum of South East Moravia in Zlin, the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts (building 14), and the František Bartoš Regional Library (building 15).
What to See and Do
The 14|15 BAŤA INSTITUTE offers something for everyone. Do you like history, art, architecture, books, music, or fun? Here you will find these all in one place. A range of interesting temporary exhibitions and events, such as festivals, travel lectures, discussions, and concerts, are held here throughout the year. And you definitely shouldn't miss the unique permanent exhibitions, which provide a comprehensive view of the Baťa phenomenon.
A Museum that Brings History to Life
The Museum of South East Moravia in Zlín
The permanent museum exhibition 'The Baťa Principle: Fantasy Today, Reality Tomorrow', which received the Gloria Musaealis Award for 2013, presents a subject integral to Zlín but known all over the world. The location of the exhibition in a former factory building draws visitors directly into the era of Baťa's heyday. You can take a look at an original shoe production line, hundreds of types of Baťa shoes, historical and exotic footwear from around the world, and dozens of other Baťa products, from shoelaces to aeroplanes. Collections and photos from the travels of Jiří Hanzelka and Miroslav Zikmund and exhibits from the film gallery are equally interesting. Projections of period films complement informational panels. A playful exhibition in the former factory building dedicated to prominent ethnographer, linguist, and teacher František Bartoš also cannot go unnoticed.
You can see other exhibits curated by the Museum of South East Moravia in Zlin at the Malenovice castle, the Ploština National Cultural Monument and the Museum of the Region of Luhačovické Zálesí.
Art, Architecture and Design
Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín
The new exhibition of the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín named + - Zlín consists of non-commissioned fine art, architecture and design, and it presents exhibits mainly from its rich collection. Through 300 original works it offers an insight not only into the recent history of art, but also into the intricate relationships of visual culture with various areas of life. The central theme of the exposition is the contradiction between how the city of Zlín and its surroundings are perceived on the outside and how they define themselves internally. On the one hand, there is a distinct mark of modernization and industrial development left by the Bata Company, and on the other hand, the traditional and sentimental view associated with nature and the countryside. This obvious contrast forms the basic line of the exhibition’s content.
Visitors will see the presentation of the cultural history of Zlín, including Zlín Salons from the 1930s and 1940s, of the city’s architecture and of the industrial design. It features paintings by famous painters such as Bohumil Kubišta, Josef Čapek, Jindřich Štyrský or Toyen, as well as less known artists. The architecture section presents models of iconic buildings of Zlín, which illustrate the rapid transformation of the small town into a center of modern architecture. The industrial design section focuses on key figures such as Vincenc Makovský, Zdeněk Kovář and František Crhák and their influence on the development of design.
Relax with a Book and More
František Bartoš Regional Library in Zlin
The František Bartoš Regional Library, the largest library in the Zlín region with a collection of more than 450,000 titles, also dedicates itself to the Baťa phenomenon. It offers Baťa company newspapers, and you can see a number of monographs about the Zlín Region in the digital library. The regional collection contains titles relating to personalities such as the Baťa family, Jiří Hanzelka, Miroslav Zikmund, František Bartoš, Emil Zátopek, and others. The František Bartoš Regional Library also offers areas for relaxing. You can sit back and read books or magazines in a reading room or a separate study room, or read daily newspapers in the café over a cup of delicious coffee on the ground floor of building 15. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the complex is a matter of course.
Employees of the 14|15 BAŤA INSTITUTE Information Centres, which are located on the ground floor of each building, will gladly recommend other interesting places in Zlín. Here you can also by tickets for guided tours of the nearby former Baťa Administrative Building, known as the skyscraper, or building 21, which includes the unique office of Jan Antonín Baťa located in a lift. Tours with commentary by a museum guide must be scheduled several days in advance.
Generous Premises
Buildings 14 and 15 are connected by an outdoor platform, which is used for organising a range of open-air events. The 14|15 BAŤA INSTITUTE also provides multifunctional halls with modern equipment for arranging various discussions, training events, or conferences. We eagerly offer our conference spaces for any kind of event, which you can further enrich with a unique accompanying programme focusing on the history of the Baťa company.
If you are interested in renting our conference spaces for any kind of event, please contact the business manager Andrea Zahradkova (+420 573 032 106, andrea.zahradkova@14-15.cz).