Tomáš Baťa Memorial

Tomáš Baťa Memorial: A glass masterpiece of functionalism

The Tomáš Baťa Memorial ranks among the most striking works of world architecture and represents one of Zlín’s most important landmarks. Architect František Lýdie Gahura designed it as a tribute to the visionary Tomáš Baťa, who died tragically in a plane crash in 1932. The memorial is exceptional in its construction – made entirely of glass, concrete and metal, without a single brick. In its architectural significance, it stands alongside icons of modern architecture such as Villa Tugendhat in Brno or Müller Villa in Prague.

The memorial was formally opened on 12 July 1933, exactly one year after Baťa’s tragic death. Gahura sought to express Baťa’s personality through the building itself, which thus embodies his key qualities – generosity, clarity, aspiration, optimism and simplicity.

In its early years, the memorial welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors. After the Second World War, however, the advent of the communist regime brought changes to both its appearance and purpose. The building underwent radical modifications that suppressed its original architectural purity. In 1955, the memorial was transformed into the House of Arts, which became home to the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra. It was only after 2013, when both cultural institutions moved to new premises, that the memorial was able to return to its original form and purpose. Following a meticulous reconstruction led by architect Petr Všetečka, it reopened to the public in 2019 – exactly as František Lýdie Gahura had designed it.

The interior is very restrained, even bare, yet emotionally powerful. It is dominated by slender columns, an elegant Z-shaped single-flight staircase and an accurate replica of the Junkers F-13 aircraft in which Tomáš Baťa lost his life. The only sources of light are precise replicas of the original torch-style light fittings, which transform the building into a shining jewel over Zlín in the evening hours. The memorial not only serves as a place of remembrance but, above all, as a space for pause and reflection. It is a building that speaks without words – through light, space and thought.

Since 2023, you can also view Tomáš Baťa’s gold triple-cased pocket watch at the memorial, on loan from the Tomáš Baťa Foundation. This Swiss Movado watch returned to Zlín in 2018. After the death of Sonja Baťa, the wife of Tomáš Baťa Jr, it was brought from Toronto by her granddaughter, Rosemarie Blyth-Bata, who donated it to the Foundation. The Foundation has provided them for long-term display in the memorial. The watch commemorates the moment when the aircraft tragically crashed to the ground – it shows the time at which the lives of Tomáš Baťa and his pilot, Jindřich Brouček, came to a sudden end.

Since January 2025, visits have also included a digital 3D model of the watch with augmented-reality elements. This allows you to not only examine it in detail from every angle, but also to symbolically ‘take it home’ – placing it into real space and photographing it, for example, on your desk or bookshelf. The virtual model also serves as a substitute for the original during the winter months, when the watch is stored off-site due to unsuitable weather conditions.

The Tomáš Baťa Memorial is only accessible with a guide, with tours departing on the hour. Tickets are available at the Infopoint, located in the grammar school building to the left of the memorial, approximately 150 steps away. In addition to tickets, you can purchase specialist publications and souvenirs here, or pick up printed materials, brochures and maps free of charge.

Opening Hours:

Contact:

Památník Tomáše Bati
nám. T. G. Masaryka 2570, 760 01 Zlín
website: www.pamatnikbata.eu/en/

Ticket Sales:

Infopoint Památníku T. Bati
nám. T. G. Masaryka 2734, 760 01 Zlín
Phone Number: +420 575 570 720
E-mail: pamatnikbata@zlin.eu