Zlín Town Hall

Zlín Town Hall: An icon of modern architecture

The dominant feature of náměstí Míru in the centre of Zlín is the town hall, one of the city’s most important architectural landmarks. The first references to the town hall date back to 1569. At the time, it not only served as the seat of municipal administration but also as an inn. In 1586, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, which gave it a representative appearance. However, the building was completely destroyed by a large fire in 1921.

The current form of the town hall dates from 1924 and was designed by architect František Lýdie Gahura – later the principal architect of Tomáš Baťa and the chief creator of Zlín’s urban plan. For the young architect, this was one of his first independent commissions. His design, which also served as his diploma project, was successful in a national architectural competition and laid the foundation for a new city landmark. Construction was carried out by the firm František Malota & Jan Krajča.

Stylistically, the building draws on the work of Gahura’s teacher Jan Kotěra as well as Josip Plečnik. Of particular interest are the details of the dormers and the interiors, which feature elements of the post-Cubist ‘faceted’ style. Another striking element is the corner tower, which recalls a city gate and symbolically references Zlín’s historical coat of arms.

The main façade is formed by an arcade with five arches, above which lies a terrace with a stone balustrade accented by metal details. In the interior, attention is drawn to the central single-flight staircase clad in brown-pink marble, with brass elements, and to the ceiling with square coffered panels and circular light fixtures. On the northern side of the building in Bartošova Street (formerly Kovářská Street), notice the statue of a blacksmith – another work by Gahura, linking architecture with art.

In the ceremonial hall, the original reinforced-concrete coffered ceiling has been preserved, adorned with frescoes of plant motifs on a blue background, also by František Lýdia Gahura and František Kysela. Massive pillars and the musicians’ gallery on the upper level are articulated by regular stucco bands, and the windows display replicas of the original stained-glass windows. The ceremonial hall is not freely accessible to the public.

The ground floor and second floor of the town hall regularly host thematic exhibitions. In 2024, the tower underwent façade restoration, during which its colour scheme was returned to the original monochrome design proposed by architect František Lýdie Gahura. The light beige shade complements the sandstone details and returns the building to its authentic appearance at the time of its construction.