About the project

The Zlín Architecture Manual (ZAM) is a specialised popularising database of architectural and artistic objects, sets of buildings, and public spaces created in the years 1894–2018.

In 2019, 5 thematic routes were prepared representing the transformation of Zlín from a small peasant town to a modern city, in connection with the growth of the Baťa company, and also the architectural and historical development of the city, which has taken place from the end of World War II to the present. The concept of the individual routes was developed by an interdisciplinary team composed of historians, art historians, architects, and sociologists.

Thanks to this cooperation, the final form of the manual presents not only architecturally valuable buildings, but also phenomena that are associated with the organisation of the Baťa company, the rules of its management, education principles and daily education (the young women and young men of Baťa’s Zlín).In addition to important solitary urban examples, the entries also refer to urban units and standardised buildings mass-produced by the Baťa Construction Department. The period-limited route dedicated to the era from the 1920s to the 1940s (Baťa Housing) is complemented by a related walk representing the construction of the Baťa city centre - the historic náměstí míru (Peace Square) in contrast to the never-finished náměstí Práce (Labour Square), which is still undergoing a building transformation. Another route is focused on the architectural development within the factory complex (Factory Premises). A separate walk is dedicated to technological experiments coming from the construction department, which after 1945 resulted in the first prefabricated panel houses of the G series realised by the successor of the Baťa Construction Department, the Stavosvit (From Brick to Panel). A total of 90 entries are processed, among which the biographies of the most important architects and builders are also represented.

The database consists of texts, archive plans and photographs, as well as current photographic documentation. Some entries are supplemented by period materials that had not been published before. In the future, the routes will also be linked to signs in public space. The database is also expanded by professional texts drawing attention to events or phenomena that have influenced not only the architectural, but also the social and historical development of the city.

With its concept, ZAM is intended for all those interested in architecture, urbanism and modern urban history. Through the database, Zlín residents can find out more about the place where they live. ZAM is also an ideal tool for tourists, and it is available 24 hours a day. For those whose primary goal is to attend a conference, trade fair or other specific event, this will provide a means of getting to know the city better in their free time. At the same time, it is also available to visitors who come to Zlín purposefully to explore industrial settlements, modern forms of public space planning and Baťa architecture, and who are looking for reliable information concentrated in one place.

The ZAM project also includes an accompanying programme of guided tours of the city called Potkej Zlín!

The ZAM project is implemented thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Zlín, the Zlín Region and KOMA Modular company.