According to the principles defined in the company manual The Ideal Industrial Town (1938), the production area of the Bat'a Concern, a. s., Zlín, in Zruč nad Sázavou - Bat'a was situated between the Sázava River and the railway line. The factory space follows the course of the river and the railway line in a U-shape. According to the original regulatory plan, nine factory buildings were to be built in Zruč. However, the ongoing war conflict of the Second World War eventually made it possible to realise only two factory buildings.
The construction of the first factory building closer to the river started in May 1939 and proceeded at a fast pace. The reinforced concrete structure was completed in September 1939 and the building was finished in December of the same year. Production began in January 1940. Meanwhile, the foundations of the second production building were laid in September 1939. However, construction work was halted by the intervention of the authorities and construction was not resumed until 1940, when the reinforced concrete structure was constructed during the summer months. The building was completed in April 1941.
The architectural design of the production buildings was a key product of the construction department of the Bata Concern, a. s., Zlín. It was the result of a long-term and systematic consideration of the assignment of the founder of the concern, Tomáš Bata, who preferred the construction of medium-term durability. [...] The problem is to build a good building, meeting all the demands placed on it, and to build it with the resources at my disposal without going into debt' (Reflections and speeches).
The Zlín Building Department therefore developed a type of building with a reinforced concrete skeleton structure, created by means of a unique sliding formwork, the use of which significantly reduced construction costs during construction. The basic floor plan unit thus became a square module with dimensions of 6.15 x 6.15 m, which could be found in American industrial architecture. The combination of a number of modules created a spacious hall that could be adapted to different types of production. This system of construction was so efficient and variable that it could be used in the construction of other buildings such as schools, boarding houses, department stores or hotels. It became one of the most distinctive elements of Bata architecture.
The Zruč production buildings have a simple cuboid shape, which is complemented by an added staircase bay in the middle of the facade. They consist of thirteen or fourteen structural modules on five floors. At first glance, the two factory buildings look identical, but they have several differences. The first factory building is longer by one structural module on the right-hand side, which housed changing rooms, toilets and an emergency staircase that partially overhung the basic plan, creating a tall bay window on the side facade. The extension is set back from the first building by a narrower corridor and the staircase circles the lift shaft.
The annex adjoins the second building with its entire width and is divided into three parts. The first part housed the staff facilities, the second the staircase, and the third part housed the elevator shaft. The second production building is less than a metre taller than the first and has narrower windows, which were originally wooden but were soon replaced by metal windows. The structure of the buildings as well as the ceilings and roofs are reinforced concrete with brick infill, the floors were painted with cement screed. The staff changing rooms were equipped with toilets, urinals, washbasins and racks.
The completed second building was not used for production until the complete civic amenities were completed in Batau in Zruč. From April 1941, it housed a biograph and a theatre, a canteen and a training centre. Another part of the factory building served as a dormitory and warehouse. After the completion of the community centre and other amenity buildings, the second factory building was used only for production. Only the third floor housed the administration and the left part of the ground floor was used for the canteen.
In the following years several modifications were made. In the first production building, the production hall on the first floor was extended by several extensions, windows were replaced and the interiors were modified for the needs of current production. In 2015, part of the extensions at the left rear of the building were removed and replaced by a modern extension to the height of the second floor. In the second building, the first floor was expanded to include a lunch counter and cafeteria. After 2000, the cafeteria was converted into offices and the interiors of the three floors were adapted to meet current needs. A freight elevator is still in use from the original equipment. Despite all the changes, the factory buildings retain the authenticity of the Bata architecture and are the most visible reminder of the short era of the Bata company in Zruč nad Sázavou.
