Exhibition at Vitrínka Gallery explores Tomáš Baťa's modernist vision and British Bata-ville community

Opening in April at Vitrínka Gallery in Notting Hill, the exhibition Desire to Create: Baťa’s Architecture of Belonging marks 150 years since Tomáš Baťa's birth. It examines the Czech entrepreneur's pioneering global business model and modernist planning principles. The show focuses on the British Bata-ville community in East Tilbury, demonstrating how Baťa integrated work with social life to create cohesive systems. His approach supported factory workers and their families while strengthening his enterprise. The exhibition explores Baťa's innovations across multiple domains including entrepreneurial philosophy, workers' housing, labor conditions, and marketing strategies. Born in modest Moravian circumstances, Baťa developed a visionary philosophy that positioned him as a globalization pioneer. His architectural and social planning created comprehensive communities where work and life were seamlessly connected. The exhibition unpacks how these principles manifested in the Essex settlement, revealing the Czech roots of this British industrial community.