Architecture

The Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín is one of the few institutions in the Czech Republic that systematically engages in collection-building, research, and exhibition activities in the field of architecture. The mission of this sub-collection is to preserve and make accessible the architectural heritage of Zlín and its region, while documenting the transformations in architecture and urban planning from the beginnings of the modern city in the 20th century to the present day.
Alongside Prague and Brno, Zlín is considered one of the most important centers of functionalist architecture in the Czech Republic. It was precisely the distinctive character of Zlín’s architecture and urban planning that served as the starting point for the creation of the architecture subcollection, which was established in 1987. However, its scope extends beyond the interwar period in Zlín and traces the development of architecture over a broader time frame—from the beginnings of the modern city through postwar architecture, which in many respects built upon the interwar legacy, to contemporary architecture. The collection features works by prominent architects associated with Zlín and its region, including František Lýdie Gahura, Vladimír Karfík, Miroslav Lorenc, Zdeněk Plesník, Jiří Čančík, Ivan Bergmann, and Svatopluk Sládeček. The collection also captures the broader context of Czech modern architecture, for example through the work of Josef Gočár and Alexander Skalický.
The subcollection primarily consists of architectural drawings, plans, studies, photographs, negatives, construction documentation, and architectural models. It contains a total of 35 models, some of which are on display in the permanent exhibition “+– Zlín.” There are currently 649 cataloged items stored in the archives. The collection is continuously expanding with new acquisitions of architectural and related materials, which also serve research purposes.