Baťa Skyscraper in Zlín: The Legendary Office in a Lift and the Best View

If you ever find yourself in Zlín, you should not miss a visit to the Baťa Skyscraper, known as “building twenty-one”. We headed there during our trip from Lešná Zoo. 🚗

Parking without stress

Even though we had found a parking lot in advance where we planned to leave the car, when we arrived we discovered it was unfortunately full.

What impressed us in Zlín was that we didn’t have to wander aimlessly around the city looking for another spot. There are digital signs everywhere showing the current availability of nearby car parks, so we simply followed the map to one close to the skyscraper and parked without any trouble.

Well, to be precise — I had to quickly pull up the map on my phone as the co-pilot while my husband drove us there. 🙂

Entry and security check

Even though the skyscraper building serves as the seat of the Zlín Region Regional Authority, it is open to tourists free of charge.

Just be prepared for a security check right at the entrance — you have to walk through a security frame. We were a little surprised that even our glasses cases set off the alarm, so I’d recommend emptying all metal items from your bags into the provided trays beforehand.

After the check you receive a visitor card to pin on, and the security guard directs you to the lift.

View from the terrace

After riding the lift up — it was very fast — you arrive at a magnificent rooftop terrace. From there you get a stunning view over all of Zlín, including the typical Baťa family houses. 🏘️

Rooftop terrace of the Baťa Skyscraper and views over Zlín

✕ ❮

❯

On the terrace you will find binoculars and a scale model of the city, which lets you explore Zlín from a completely different perspective.

On the terrace: binoculars, map and a scale model of Zlín

✕ ❮

❯

A bit of history

Construction of this skyscraper — the headquarters of the Baťa shoe company — began in 1936, and the building was completed in December 1938. At the time it was a complete shock to all of Europe. At 77.5 metres tall it was the second tallest building in Europe (beaten only by a palace in Belgium) and the tallest skyscraper in Central Europe. 😲

The famous office in the lift

What fascinates visitors the most is the legendary moving office of the boss, located inside the lift itself, measuring roughly 6×6 metres. It is situated on the ground floor of the skyscraper. Jan Antonín Baťa was a workaholic who absolutely hated wasting time. His solution was that if he needed to check on employees on, say, the 4th floor, he would simply ride up to that floor along with his whole office. It was fitted with running water, a washbasin, what was then state-of-the-art air conditioning, and telephones. ☎️

Sadly, Jan Antonín Baťa never actually worked in it. The lift was completed at a time when Europe was already being engulfed by the darkness of the Second World War. In 1939 the Nazis arrived, Baťa had to emigrate with his family to America, and he never returned to the office.

This office is a world-unique attraction! And it is fascinating to see everything the Baťa company managed to build. 👍

The Baťa Skyscraper is also a listed cultural monument of the Czech Republic. It is a place full of history that is absolutely worth a visit.

Have you ever been there, or are you planning to go? 🙂