It was the administration building of the Bata Shoes factory, a company that was based in the city.

Architect Karfík suggested the design of a high-rise building and eventually got Jan Antonín Baťa's support for his idea.

[2][3] The general contractor was a subsidiary of the Baťa concern – Zlínská stavební akciová společnost.

Parties involved: The construction started on 14 September 1936[5] with the excavation of the foundation footings.

The construction of reinforced concrete skeleton started next year in April and the sixteenth floor was completed on 16 September 1937.

The column foot takes on an elliptical shape to optimally distribute the horizontal load.

In the basement there was the central company archive, the engine room and the electrical substation, warehouses and two telephone exchanges.

The high number of elevators ensured that the cabin arrived within a maximum of 30 seconds of being called.

[7] A technical rarity is the air conditioned lift office of the company director measuring 6 × 6 meters.

The windows are unopenable, washable from the outside with the help of an elevator cage, suspended at the top of a rail ledge.

Unfortunately, the outcome was not eye pleasing due to a cumbersome awning supported by a concrete wall with a sculpture (by J. Vlach) and a fountain [3].

[12][13] In 2018 some building areas received a face lift totalling 84 million CZK.

[14] 10,000 m2 of floor cover Zlinolit were restored,[15] the permanent exhibitions were expanded (among others a giant bronze model of old Zlín was installed),[16][14] the elevators and the paternoster were repaired, the entry hall was modernized.

On the second floor there is a permanent exhibition about the building history and about its architect Vladimír Karfík.

[17] In 1958 the building earned the cultural monument of the Czech Republic status (it is listed under number 1894).