Gottwaldov I.

The route called Gottwaldov I. focuses on public buildings built between 1949 and 1989, i.e. during the period when Zlín bore the name of the first workers' president. The adjacent villages Jaroslavice, Příluky, Kudlov, Prštné, Paseky, Malenovice, Tečovice, Kvítkovice, Žlutava and Otrokovice were connected to Gottwaldov and became part of the territory of the so-called Great Zlín. Thanks to this connection, Gottwaldov was one of the main industrial centres in the early 1950s with the rapid construction of not only apartment buildings, but also medical facilities, schools and sports grounds. The name Zlín remained only in the central part of the city, where it was called Gottwaldov I - Zlín. In 1949, the town also became the seat of the Gottwaldov Region, which during the reform in 1960 was transformed into the Gottwaldov District belonging to the South Moravian Region.

The route covers a long period of time, and so the selected buildings represent several architectural styles. Some of the projects were prepared during the 1930s and 1940s by Baťa architects working in the Construction Department and were implemented only after the change of political regime. This is the case for the Winter Spa building by architect Vladimír Karfík as well as the construction of a winter stadium planned in several stages, which was not completed until 1964. The theatre and collective sports facilities were intended to meet the needs not only of the city, but of the entire region. Many of Baťa's former architects continued to design within state-run project offices (Stavoprojekt, Centroprojekt). Thanks to their public function, almost all selected buildings are at least partially representative. Architects used a variety of architectural styles; from the late phase of functionalism with its organic motifs, through the socialist realism of the time, through buildings whose authors drew from foreign designs such as architect Zdeněk Plesník and his Fotografia house, and architect Šebestián Zelina, who in cooperation with JZD Slušovice could design more costly and generous buildings such as the department stores at Dlouhá Street. Despite their undeniable architectural quality, many of these buildings are in poor technical condition. Their original appearance is often completely degraded by recent reconstructions and extensions that do not respect the original intentions of their designers.

Through texts and accompanying photographs, we would like to draw attention to the unique qualities of these buildings and to their authors, point out how they represent the history of the city, and emphasise the importance of their future preservation. Gradually, the route will be expanded by additional objects and interviews with contemporaries.