This man built his office inside an elevator

The Baťa Skyscraper, in Zlín, Czechia, is a landmark of architecture. And the office of Jan Antonín Baťa... is an elevator. [Correction: Jan Antonín Baťa's birth year is 1898; the graphic is a typo.]
Thanks to the museum staff for fact-checking and translation!
Camera and local production: Otto Beck, HayotFilms hayotfilms.com
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[@TomScottGo]

There's a typo on-screen: Jan Antonín Baťa was born in 1898, not 1989. In my defence, that's really difficult to spot.

[@xondisco]

Honestly, fair enough, Tom. Enjoyed your video, though.

[@HOUDINI12]

That dude lived to an old age? nice!

[@TheSpiritingPoet]

Sorry Tom, spotted it instantly.

[@justarandomchannelonyt]

its normal tho

[@rocketboysmc]

You missed the opportunity to say at the end of the video 'service the office'.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

Imagine working for a company where instead of the boss asking you to "come to my office," their office comes to you

[@Subar_Sama]

I don't know which of the two options is scarier, to be honest.

[@maverickbna]

Do I need to add an "in... Um... Czechia... The office comes to you!" joke?;)

[@233Deadman]

Or, the boss still makes you come to his office and deliberately makes it as far away as possible to increase your fear.

[@techman2553]

Got to take that to the next step - have the elevator office stop on each floor lined up with a set of wide rails, then the entire office rolls out of the elevator shaft and tours the factory. "Everybody shhh - here comes the boss's office. Quick, look busy !!"

[@TheWinjin]

@@techman2553by this point the office should have a truck it attaches to and just ride with the CEO home so that it becomes a home office

[@ipv6tf2]

imagine being called into the boss' office, discussing your performance, etc and then the office moves to the ground floor...

[@GamesFromSpace]

Or worse, the secret subbasement.

[@Michael75579]

Or the top floor and a window opens 😀 The defenestrations of -Prague- Zlin

[@dr.cheeze5382]

@@Michael75579 We Czechs are well known for our defenestrations! 😁

[@jonathanshaw6784]

I'm imagining the boss pressing the up and down arrows depending on how well the conversation is going

[@jryde421]

Lmfao damn..

[@SheeplessNW6]

It was quite a success story. Baťa joined the company on the ground floor, and eventually rose to the top.

[@arzagest3904]

well he didnt join the company he founded it but you know its still good joke

[@botik22]

@@arzagest3904 In fact he did join the company. It had been founded by his brother decades before😁

[@greensteve9307]

Hahaha!

[@lukeseaman2994]

Full of ups and downs

[@cannot-handle-handles]

Eventually. 😀

[@mattc9598]

fun fact about the Bata shoe company, they built entire towns around their factories. Like the one here in Canada, where the Bata family built the town of Batawa. The whole town existed for their new shoe company. It had Ice rinks, ski hills, restaurants. All of which is still around today (the shoe factory is long gone though)

[@SamYoungnz]

And there is the Bata shoe museum in Toronto :-)

[@qwaqwa1960]

@@SamYoungnz & the Bata building-visible in one of the pictures in the office :-)

[@Grimpen0]

IIRC, Bata was headquartered in Canada from the sixties until their headquarters moved to Switzerland in the 2000's.

[@krashd]

Every big company did that in those days, some still do it today. Workers need amenities.

[@TayWoode]

Another fun fact is the head of the company was apparently born in 1989 and died in 1965

[@envoyofrot7046]

He is taking his office to the next level!

[@aykarain]

literally

[@ThatOpalGuy]

makes climbing that ladder of success so much easier.

[@MichaelGeorge161]

This needs more likes

[@d9zirable]

dammit beat me to it

[@SamSitar]

he does it very highly.

[@JH-wd6dp]

Gives the phrase "get on my level" a whole new meaning. This certainly elevates the standards of private offices.

[@electron8262]

Yes, working in that office really must have felt uplifting!

[@JH-wd6dp]

@@electron8262 I hear it has its ups and downs.

[@tfr]

anyone that does indeed "get on the bosses level" gets a raise for sure.

[@communismoclock9958]

I bet it lifts employee's spirits when they're feeling down.

[@soosh9852]

anyone working here must have a hard time seeing eye to eye with their boss

[@thewrathofrevan5999]

I want to say you guys did a nice job of managing to keep the employees out of frame. There were many spots in this tour where reflections could have revealed the person behind the camera. Other than a few unavoidable instances of window reflections, every other shot is designed to make sure your promise is kept.

[@coherentpanda7115]

I wish they weren't afraid to discuss the history more, I would have loved to hear more about it, but they seemed unwilling to give any more than a short demo of it.

[@TheTicassShow]

imagine actually being like "I don't wanna be recorded 🤓"

[@_kaleido]

@@TheTicassShow People have a right to privacy to be fair

[@Muhluri]

I don't think it's that deep tbh. It's not like they're some celebrity or politician. They just didn't want to speak on camera directly

[@mg8642]

​@@TheTicassShowmore people should be like that

[@kennykentus2919]

I'd like to point out that the Zlín was quite a small town before Baťa family. They built a factory much larger than the town and than they built a settlement as big as a factory with very modern houses for each family of the factory workers. To this day the factory and the settlement is more than a half of the city. Tomáš Baťa (older brother of Jan) was one of few good capitalists, he was very good at cutting corners and saving money while creating a self sufficient corporate empire. He never stoped thinking about his employees and their families while doing so. He was a man who made a small town into one of the largest and most livable industrial cities of the time in my country.

[@janslavik5284]

well said (also *šelf suffucient* 😆)

[@kennykentus2919]

@@janslavik5284 autocorrect 😬

[@ShapezPuller64]

Anyone who isn't stopping to think about their employees is deeply worrysome.

[@PjetDevjet]

Fakt nebral ohledy na svoje zaměstnance a jejich rodiny? A nebylo to naopak?

[@ZealotOfSteal]

I think you meant he "never stopped thinking about" instead of "never stopped to think about". The difference is small, but the former means he always thought about them and the latrer means he never thought about them.

[@bloxrocks5179]

tom gets to press the button that raises london bridge but hes not allowed to press an elevator button

[@TheCheesyNachos]

to be fair, the london bridge got stuck right after he pressed it, so I wouldn’t trust him either

[@marksnow7569]

Tower

[@TommyLandon]

LIFE IS NOT FAIR

[@cobaltno51]

Its probably difficult to get british qualifications regocnized in the EU after brexit.

[@nemesis-music]

Tom raises Tower Bridge and the next day it breaks down

[@MrTomprokopec]

Months ago, there was a questionnaire to give our recommendations for interesting places for Tom and his team to make videos about. Gotta say, bit of a shock to see my recommendation going through! Thank you for this video, and hope you all enjoyed my hometown and Czechia!

[@ErmenBlankenberg]

I filled in the questionnaire with the same recommendation! It's awesome to see our combined efforts managed to got Tom into our hometown!

[@mikiqex]

It's about time! 🙂 It's great to see someone I've been following finally showing up. Top Gear didn't (even though they brought several Czech vehicles to Slovakia for their last special), and there have been no mentions from John Oliver either.

[@MrTomprokopec]

@@ErmenBlankenberg Nice, wouldn't expect there would be more of us. That may have been the correct formula :)

[@fidalf99]

I live in the same region And would trip out of my mind if i saw freaking Tom Scott there. That's probably the last thing I'd expect to see.

[@miked51]

Very cool! I was just about to ask how he found this interesting story. Thanks to you, the other submitters and Tom.

[@space197]

This is quite an ingenious idea. In another application this 'office elevator' could serve as a elevator workshop for building maintenance, bring the tools and facilities closer to the floor the problem is originating, and literally giving the meaning of bring a solution to the problem XD

[@tessincolor]

It's so nice to see you visit and admire my country, Czechia. We have a lot of interesting places and history and this is definitely one of the most unique ones. It's great to see it get represented. Also a fun fact: it is said that Baťa is the one who came up with prices ending with 9 so the customers still have a feeling that they are getting a bargain even though the difference is small. :D

[@360.Tapestry]

ah, the rascal

[@AJ_UK_LIVE]

That is a good fact!

[@jmsscz]

Zlín is my hometown 😎☺

[@peanutinc.7670]

Imagine having to ask your guests to wait, and you have to tell them "don't worry, my office will be down shortly." Must have gotten a few wide eyes in its day.

[@alexsiemers7898]

1:16 truly an innovative man, Jan managed to live his whole life 24 years before he was even born.

[@DarkDodger]

Maybe it was an "age backwards" type of deal.

[@Banana_Fusion]

😂

[@Jaichbinhier]

Perhaps his age was like the elevator: It just kept going up and down. 😂

[@simonbrewster12]

🤣

[@Kiyoshi_9606]

Collaboration with Benjamin Button

[@safe-keeper1042]

Reminds me of the dockworker's union leader in Disco Elysium who had an office in a shipping container. When he needed to go somewhere, he just had a crane move the entire container. Art imitates life.

[@jimmyzhao2673]

I should recommend your solution to the superintendent at our construction site.

[@janssenmccormick7824]

Fabulous, Harry!

[@MrJest2]

I'm sure it's main use was to efficiently shuttle to different floors and hold management meetings; so a 10:00 meeting on floor 2, then a 10:15 meeting on floor 10, etc. That way the manager's work flow wasn't interrupted, and paperwork could be organized and sorted between floors on the way to the next meeting - all without ever getting up from his desk.

[@drag0nerd]

The fact they have a SINK in there is honestly the most insane part, what a flex

[@lonesome3958]

Hats off to the engineers, that simple solution is just smart

[@Y2Kvids]

When you Let that sink in

[@ChillOki]

​@@Y2Kvidsjust like the elevator

[@tinnagigja3723]

Toilet would have been a bigger flex - and doubled the time-saving!

[@SeanBZA]

You could put a toilet in as well, just would need to put a macerating pump in the tank, and a flow switch, so that when the tank is near full the pump moves the ground up water and "other" into the pipe with enough pressure, so it will flow on the ground floor. Anything above half way it will be gravity flow, as your trailing pipes for inlet and outlet are attached 1 floor above mid way. Making flexible rubber hose that can handle pressure is not difficult, just kind of expensive, so just a tank top and bottom will also work, though you would want to have a interlock so that the dump line does not get attached, and have the lift move.

[@KATKAP49]

I would have never thought that you could visit my hometown nevertheless it has just happened. I'm really happy for you to be able to find yourself inside of the elevator because it is not so easy for everyone to get there. I really appreciate your pronunciation of the names and calling the Czech Republic being a part of the central Europe. Thank you, it means a lot to me ❤

[@adameichler]

It it possible to visit it during a guided tour, but it has to be reserved 14 days in advance :)

[@MrJacobSGC]

I always wanted Tom Scott to cover something in the Czechia but I still couldn't find out what could be enough interesting to him to come here. I'm glad someone figured this out and invite him. Thanks a lot!

[@Skaiiter]

i can finally die in peace

[@michalswag]

as we approach the End of Tom Scott, we are treated to yet another instance of the famous Elevator Series featuring a surprise cameo from the fan-favourite paternosters.

[@CharlotteFurnessWriter]

I went to university at Leicester where they had a paternoster which went over about the same number of floors. They let 18year old undergraduates use it. I don't know how we were allowed but it was one of my favourite things about university. So much fun!

[@mloxard]

"fan-favourite paternosters" you're not wrong

[@VKM-xs5tv]

The end? I thought he would just be taking a break from KZbin at the end of this year?

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

​@@VKM-xs5tvIt's a very long break, enough that I think it counts as the end of an era. Tom himself described it as an ending in the video he did announcing it.

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

@@CharlotteFurnessWriter Sheffield

[@KlausKlass]

If you didn’t immediately realize, the “small shoe company” is now Bata, which is a huge international shoe brand. Lots of people (e.g. in India and Brazil) think it’s a local company, but actually it was originally started in Czechia.

[@imonymous]

Wow. Thanks, i would've missed that.

[@lourainevillalon3852]

wow i always thought it was a local filipino brand because bata in tagalog means kid/kids, and most bata brand shoes here are catered for school kids

[@Artiedabbeljoe]

Fun fact: the factory was moved to the Netherlands. A complete town was built for the factory workers, called Batadorp (which is Dutch for Batavillage).

[@tiadaid]

As a child I used to think that Bata was a Malaysian company. They were quite good at making it look like they're local.

[@udosteger]

I recall "Bata" shops from my childhood in Cameroon - lived there from 1972 to 1978.

[@WyvernYT]

If you're in the US and can't visit Czechia, there's the municipal elevator in Oregon City, Oregon. It looks like a thin tower with a UFO on top, up against the river side cliff; the cliff is high enough that stairs were a hassle and going around took a long time, so the city built a free public elevator. Inside, there's a person who tracks the number of people using it every day and can tell people about the city - and they see everyone because they have a chair and a small desk in the elevator. It's the only elevator office I've ridden in.

[@portalbuilder7021]

That’s awesome! Also why is that the only elevator?

[@WyvernYT]

@@portalbuilder7021 It's not the only elevator in Oregon City but it's the one public municipal elevator. :-) The business district is down near the river but most of the residential areas are on top of an inconveniently placed cliff.

[@peterslegers6121]

Bata is also known for building a village for his employees at every factory he build. It's almost 3 decades ago since we've been there with a bunch of urbanism students.

[@nathanisip]

Tom has got lovely nails 😂 A lift office is quite a clever idea, though I’d be terrified of trusting my entire work day on a set of cables

[@martinkrauser4029]

You wouldn't be. There's a fair bit more to an elevator than cables.

[@AltonV]

Just one cable is enough to lift the elevator with the rated load, and there are more than one

[@Ezper-2099]

then stick it to bottom level

[@AltonV]

The inventor of the safety elevator Otis (founder of the company that built this elevator) had a demonstration in 1854 were he was elevated on a platform high above ground and had an assistant cut the *only* rope and it only dropped a few inches.

[@keaton718]

Would have been funnier if the nails were painted red tbh.

[@PetersLabAviation]

Imagine having the chance to work in such a cool office but never getting to use it.

[@krisstopher8259]

man that sux

[@mikiqex]

Reminds me how Walt Disney died before finishing his futuristic city of EPCOT. Later, his brother Roy opted for a tourist attraction instead.

[@lembitmoislane.]

This was 1939. The country was either a collapsing rump state or later a puppet state inside Germany. And after the war the communists took power* so he would had been in serious trouble if he went back. *interesting, Crezchia was the only country east of Germany post war to have it’s government in exile return compared to Poland. It had real high communist support (around a third of the population voted for them in the only real election before the fall of marxism) before the 1948 communist coup.

[@heliofaros1344]

My dad's office had paternosters. I liked visiting him there and take a ride around. Had to be accompanied. 😊

[@EmeraldEyesEsoteric]

Hi, I need to see the boss. What floor is he on? Receptionist: Yes

[@setnzal]

As a Czechie, I've been waiting for you to make a video in our little country and you did while making it interesting as always! Also, props for trying to pronounce the Ť sound in "Baťa".

[@TomS-ce8hi]

Just a shame about the pronunciation of Zlín

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

Honestly surprises me that this building is a interwar era building, feels very modern with its wide windows and tall ceilings

[@ambergris5705]

I just love the idea of a boss that comes to your level, rather than expecting you to do it for him. Symbolically, it's just great.

[@Pantology_Enthusiast]

except... "So the other day, I goofed. Then, before I knew it-" *DING* _Johnson! In my office! Now!_ "-The boss man descended from on high to have words. Not the best day, I admit."

[@larryclemens1850]

Bata was a true visionary. He was known for his concern for his employees. When he came to Canada, he had an entire community built for his workers: "Batawa" (a combination of Bata and Ottawa.) Also, the Bata footwear museum is a world class collection and is used frequently as a reference by designers. It's too bad he was never able to use his elevator office and its utility never proven.

[@corrbhan5138]

He did the same in the Netherlands. The community is still called Batadorp (Bata Village).

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

One could count that office another office distraction, like the internet is now, because the place would have curiosity seeking visitors all day long.

[@Skawagon]

This was whow the company responded to the great depression: With rampant unemployment countries arround the world started to impose import quotas and duties in order to protect domestic industries. Bata theselves were left with large inventory now unsellable on protected world markets. They cut their prices in half and putted it on sale in czechoslovakia eliminating many smaller competitors in the process. With that capital they started to establish these Bata-towns all over the world. In the elvator office there is incredible map showing navigable rivers, large population centers and sources of leather and rubber. Based on this map they researched where to put Bata-cities, furnishing them with their own machinery. @corrbhan5138

[@bogarte7185]

Been to Toronto twice. The shoe museum was closed both times. It’s on my bucket list 😀

[@birobiro1076]

He did the same in Brazil... 5 times, founding the cities of Bataiporã, Bataguassu, Batatuba, Anaurilândia and Mariapolis. The Alexandre of shoe manufacturing.

[@ainsleybeers]

Tom Scott is the most reliable source for well-made, short, educational videos. He never lets me down 🙏

[@00WhiteBlade]

1:03 Tom cut your nails, man!

[@nathanlewis42]

only employees are allowed to push the buttons on the elevator. That wasn't his hand.

[@sergiorestrepo6657]

Working there must be very uplifting. Great video Tom, thank you

[@ipv6tf2]

it has its ups and downs for sure

[@namewarvergeben]

The boss gave himself a raise every day

[@johndavidtibbetts7320]

Literally opening an elevator door to find your boss sitting at his desk like "Im sure you're all wondering why I called this meeting."

[@anonymousanonymous-tw3wm]

😂

[@GerardMenvussa]

- Excuse-me. I've been called for a meeting with the boss. On what floor is it? - What do you mean on what fl- Oooh, you must be new here...

[@lambnugget3246]

I live in Czechia and study in Zlín. I am really happy to see you make a video about it! I've been there myself and all the stuff you said from the tour guide, but I would never expect to hear it from you as well. Great video, Tom. Thakns for visiting my country

[@sony.walkman]

Czech here, we learned about this building in art history, absolutely loved it, visited it myself too, I'm so glad one of my favorites channels is covering it, and letting more people know about this.

[@noachav]

This is fascinating, although I would hate to be locked in my office if it broke down between floors

[@The5lacker]

That's what the secret bottle of office brandy is for.

[@Wyvernnnn]

Well it's also surely the best elevator he could hope to get stuck in

[@teaboy9614]

There's a sink, but no toilet 😮

[@weeksweeks9552]

@@teaboy9614 Well i can see a way

[@wormwoodbecomedelphinus4131]

Hoist by your own petard.

[@AusSkiller]

I'm always impressed by how Tom seems to always nail his lines and has the script seemingly timed out perfectly. I'm not sure if he really is a one take wonder (I assume with a lot of preparation though), or it the videos are just meticulously edited to make it seem like that, but either way I'm impressed.

[@Lumpfriend]

he's been doing this for so long I bet he's good at needing very few takes

[@dryued6874]

Petition to release Tom Scott bloopers

[@redcoat4348]

his earlier videos had many takes, but nowadays he genuinely has gotten so good at making these videos that they are one take.

[@jaykebird2go]

I don't know about most of these, but some definitely are one take (like the one about Dasani water). You can tell because he gets really excited about it at the end of the video.

[@inlovewithgoats1092]

Some definitely are one take. Tom has been doing this for ages now, he's an experienced presenter. To someone like that a five minute script probably isn't much of a challenge. For comparison: where I live, the news presenters on TV can do 20 minutes, live, without fumbling up.

[@Pantology_Enthusiast]

0:53 with camera tricks, even Tom Scott can have lovely, manicured nails.

[@DuncanJimmy]

That's so awesome. Can't think of a bigger boss move than having an oversized elevator as your office. Hope the safety features are solid though, otherwise it might feel like the Sword of Damocles.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

I feel like we’re just getting a Tom Scott’s Greatest Hits compilation now the channel’s nearing its last videos. Lift shafts, Paternoster lifts, unconventional drainage systems, complicated historical figures, an extended monologue - this one had a bit of everything!

[@peppermann]

Tom is quite possibly the most comfortable narrator of all time, no pauses or hiccups, one take, total class. 👏

[@IamSoEasy47]

This took 17 takes

[@Liface]

You realize that multiple takes exist?

[@neonblkhole]

@IamSoEasy47 where did you pull _that_ number from

[@fburton8]

@@neonblkhole The Tom Scott narration take number drawer?

[@Julia_and_the_City]

So this is very interesting, right: the way this is edited makes it *look* like Scott is narrating in a single, ongoing take - however, sometimes you'll see shots of details of the elevator or aerial shots of the building interspersed with the narration. Those can be used to break up little bits where Scott messes up the narration, cut them out without making it seem as if they're being cut out like you would in a regular jumpcut. It's a nifty trick, and these days a very common one in the language of online KZbin video, as the jumpcut is on the way out.

[@Zonker66]

Gave this a thumb's up. I like a lot of videos without bothering to do that, but I love that you did this in under five minutes. I see so many that make me watch twenty minutes of information to get to the thirty second point I watched for, and at times never even do. I appreciated this work.

[@janhutar3164]

Oh my god thank you so much for making this video. I am from Czech Republic myself and as soon as I saw the title, I knew, it would be the one in Zlín. Thank you amazing video.

[@maxidejf]

Born and raised in Czechia, yet I had no idea we had something like this over here. Thanks for the video!

Same!

[@MeiosisMaster]

As a Czech person, this is such an interesting bit of information. I never knew this place existed.

[@urcitenetom5017]

nápodobně (same)

[@bremCZ]

You should do some more research into Baťa. It was an amazing company.

[@martinlatal_]

tož ale

[@Praha2008]

Přesně moje slova

I was there multiple times and - I never realised that it is something uncommon :-)

[@dlibby4979]

It amazes me how Tom finds all these amazing things.

[@mcb187]

As someone who loves elevators, this is ridiculously cool. Thanks again tom!

[@jaffaorange3809]

I love elevators too!

[@psirvent8]

@@jaffaorange3809Me as well. And in fact I also surf them just like Beno does !

[@jaffaorange3809]

@@psirvent8 Whenever I get the chance, I take the elevator. Always a happy moment when I notice that a building has elevators.

[@psirvent8]

@@jaffaorange3809Do you surf them though ?

[@jaffaorange3809]

How do you mean?@@psirvent8

[@ShayanQ]

Tom is really doing his victory road, with more and more incredible videos on incredible things.

[@guguilviz]

Years go buy and every Tom’s video leaves me with a “wow” this is a great video, every time!

[@AdminSmithee]

This elevator (and other parts of building) where used in the Dutch populair television program "Wie is de Mol?"( who is the mole/rat). Great to learn a bit more about it, Thank you 😊

[@nubzaquer]

There's something really touching about the final line. "And every so often, someone still stops by to service the elevator" I don't know what it is, but it really hits me. Great video as always.

[@PrograError]

well... eventually someone will say that belongs in a museum... and stop maintenance...

[@heliofaros1344]

And they lived happily ever after 😊

[@HenryLoenwind]

"OTIS service line, how may I help you?"---"I'm calling to get my office serviced...."

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It's the same as that manual cable car in Slovakia, or that jungle gym in America, or that rollercoaster in Australia. Amazing places deserve to be preserved, and it takes people who really care enough to do so.

[@bardsamok9221]

​@@heliofaros1344Yes exactly, the cadence of the end of a story.

[@AdamDvoraq]

Tom visiting my little yet interesting country not only made my day, it made my whole year! Thank you very much! You are amazing and I am very happy that you found something amazing in Czechia!

[@javski28]

every single time i watch a Tom Scott video, i get so excited and amazed at new info I'm learning, and im like "Im gona go and tell people about this cool info right now" and as i get up, out of my chair to tell someone, i remember, that nobody, cares, and as i realise this, i sit back down, and continue watching

[@goldengalsclazy]

That is one of the COOLEST offices I've EVER seen! Thanks, so much for sharing this! :)

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

I just started to realize how much I'm gonna miss Tom. Time flies when you're having fun. Thanks Mate

[@smthngsmthngsmthngdarkside]

Explain

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

@@smthngsmthngsmthngdarkside He's going to be retiring soon

[@u1zha]

@@PerspectiveEngineer Source

[@r.osemary]

Bata opened up stores in my country fairly recently; no idea there was this much cool lore and complicated history behind the brand. Thanks, Tom!

[@vanessacarter6342]

We had Bata shoes for school. Wonder if it’s one in the same? Australian school shoes - mid 1980’s was when was in primary school.

[@VivekYadav-ds8oz]

I didn't even have any idea that Bata flip flops and sandals was not a local company, since they were so prevalent and cheap that nearly every poor household has it.

[@mls7513]

@@vanessacarter6342 Yes, it's the same company!

[@rudejehlici5425]

Finally a video from Czech Republic, thanks Tom!

[@wowJhil]

I can't imagine how I can manage without these kind of videos!

[@InTeCredo]

During the IFA exhibition in Berlin, there's a very large freight lift that was bedecked to the hilt with Biergarten tables and benches, Bavarian band, waitresses in Dirndl, and all of stuff from the Oktoberfest. The lift would rise very slowly from the ground floor to the fourth floor, taking more than three minutes or so to reach the destination. Long enough for the band to belt out the beer songs and for the waitresses to distribute small glasses of beers. That was most memorable and lot of fun!

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

Roll out the elevator, we'll have an elevator of fun

[@marcoaurelio4903]

One of the most teutonic thing ever!

[@ESSBrew]

These are the kind of videos the internet was built for! Thanks to Tom for keeping the internet alive and amazing!

[@nilsbottjer7129]

I like the fact, that you are honest about these camera tricks

[@Kevin-xv9pm]

I am super impressed to have a room (office, that is) inside an elevator. That hasn't been that of any kind exist that often.

[@tammystratford7079]

The Bata shoe museum is only a few km away from me! I work at an elevator manufacturing company. Amazing video, Tom. Thanks!

[@deliciousrose]

Just few years ago I found out that Baťa is not a local shoes company in Indonesia. It's a very popular shoes brand in Indonesia, there's a store in almost every major city / shopping mall. It's nice to find out cool feature in their headquarter!

[@mikehebdentrains]

Up until the 1980's there was a Bata shoe factory at East Tilbury, Essex, UK. I'd always thought that was a local thing too, but presumably all part of the same empire?

[@douro20]

They're actually based in Switzerland and are one of the largest private shoe manufacturers (Nike is the largest).

[@PrograError]

it's the same in singapore/ malaysia, tho it seems to have die off in recent years... it's more popular for being the go to for standard school shoes for cheap ( Bata is also referred as _Buy and Throw Away_)

[@deliciousrose]

@@PrograError yes, that's the trend in here too! I noticed their price is a bit higher now and there's a lot of local shoemakers with more affordable price in recent years.

[@demo2823]

All the uniform school shoes in my country (South Africa) are Bata! Is it really the same thing???

[@kevinbennett7615]

I think this may be my favourite of all Tom's videos.

[@Adam.850]

I am from Zlín and the Bat'a skyscraper is a very iconic building for Zlín.

[@Mark.Taylor.]

Jan Bat'a was born in 1989 and died in 1965! Magic elevator indeed!

[@mattfitz88]

I noticed that too.

[@OGLanzo2]

Just to reiterate how much honor this man has, his elevator office still runs to this day

[@ozsmiley07]

"So how's it working in this office?" "Oh, it has its ups & downs..."

[@Aviertje]

Why do I feel like I've seen Tom do a video like this one some time pre-covid? I've got such a huge deja vu going on here.

[@tonypang83]

Taking a private lift to a whole new level. Just curious, if any buildings after this one has a similar design, and if they're actually in use.

[@johnr797]

Not sure why any would. It's literally 25m² of wasted space on every floor but the one the office is occupying.

[@IMarvinTPA]

Not quite as extravagant as having an entire VR universe replicated in your office so you can do research for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then go to a local party in the evening.

[@ruvaak8250]

@@johnr797 that depends on whether the CEO is any good, if not it would have been 25m² of wasted space on every floor period

[@johnr797]

@@ruvaak8250 heh

[@timothymclean]

@@johnr797 That's far from the most extravagant thing that high-level corporate executives put in their office buildings.

[@lauralaura396]

I love how Tom 'tricks' us in making it look like he presses the elevator button. But also at the same time totaly tells us he's not doing it because he's not allowed to do it, so he will use trickery instead.

[@Corzappy]

I take great comfort in knowing that there will likely never come a day where the world will run out of interesting things like this for Tom to show us.

[@catprog]

Except for Tom not doing it anymore.

[@karelpgbr]

In the popular game-show "Wie is de mol?" aired in the Netherlands, they had a season in Czechia, and the abseiled off this very building. Great video once again!

[@Soguwe]

The most incredible thing is how _quiet_ it is

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Well, it'd have to be. Imagine having to do your office work with the constant hum of elevator cables.

[@ErmenBlankenberg]

Omg, Tom Scott in my hometown of Zlín, what a privilege! Without sounding conceited, I'd like to think what brought him here was the form about interesting places to visit I submitted. Whatever the case, thank you very much for visiting and making a video about our landmark!

[@bardsamok9221]

Good idea, I'm sure they would have took note of the forms :)

[@sulista-consulting]

I love Zlin and helped to establish a partnership between Möhlin in Switzerland and Zlín in Czechia!

[@EbunVD]

Imagine arriving at work and you have to wait for your office to arrive at your floor

[@DanknDerpyGamer]

Man, Otis really did / still does have a knack for making very unique elevator setups, don't they?

[@sohtialmeedeeah5806]

The epitome of micromanagement.

[@slovakthrowback3738]

Baťa is such a famous and celebrates businessman in Slovakia and Czechia, it's kinda crazy. There's a lot of legacy in what was build by him, both literally in architecture and in management/leadership, and other "corporate" topics

[@StyxDescension]

Well this just takes officework to the next level.

[@damirskrjanec]

I love that honesty about elevator buttons!

[@gustavobuquera]

In Brazil he founded 5 cities: Bataiporã, Bataguassu, Batatuba, Anaurilândia and Mariápolis.

[@tomfu9909]

He found his second home in Brazil after he was expelled from Czechoslovakia in 1940s.

[@360.Tapestry]

@@tomfu9909 from punishing winters to year-round summer.... heck of a change

[@vaenii5056]

@@360.Tapestry Are Czech winters punishing?

[@tomfu9909]

@@vaenii5056 Well, it was back than. It slowly turns more mild since 1970s

[@Pomeranc470]

​@@vaenii5056I'm 8 months late, but as a czech, I'd say they aren't punishing, just rather ugly. (Unless you're somewhere in the mountains)

[@Gotcha6666]

Wow! Tom, I hope you had a great time in my beloved country. You might enjoy another great Czech man, Otto Wichterle who invented todays contact lenses and made them in our version of yours Meccano... 😉 Best wishes to all decent people around the world from Prague, Czech republic! 🇨🇿🍻🌍

[@tinnagigja3723]

Holy crap, I just looked this up and it's awesome!

[@michalneubauer4325]

The best thing a out it is that he was making them using toy constructuon set

[@Gotcha6666]

@@tinnagigja3723 Thank you for telling me that. It made my day! 🙂

[@cha0ticneutralbigs]

Love toms new nails. But jokes aside I was worried about the accessibility of the other constant elevator cuz I can imagine how dangerous those would be for disabled people but this fixes that issue

[@womblechops]

Aside from the ups and downs aspect, that wooden decor is gorgeous.

[@razen_cz]

I am proud to be Czech. Thanks for making an episode about city in our country.

[@MP3Martin]

It always surprises me when I see someone popular mentioning the country I live in

[@MKVideoful]

I never knew we have such lift thing.

[@jimmym9947]

I often wonder how big Tom's Czech fanbase is. Nice to see at least 4 of us here

[@alexandrbilek5906]

5 🙋🏻‍♂️😁

[@jardahybner9227]

6

[@pavelholub8668]

Ok. Now I can't think of anything else other than that the world is Matrix because this is exactly the location I wished Tom to visit and now I'm just sitting here baffled that it actually happened. Tho it's a shame he didn't go a little broader on topic of Baťa company and Zlín which is the city in the video, there's so much interesting stuff. Nevertheless thank you for coming to the Czech republic and I hope you enjoyed the stay and you'd be welcome to visit other interesting places in our country.

[@SeanBZA]

Funny enough I knew a small interior shopfitter, who did all the Bata shoe shops here in South Africa, giving them all the same look and feel, plus refits over the years.

[@malachimusclerat]

once again, it's crazy that this took until the last round to make. feels just like a tom scott video from years ago. not at all a dig at tom scott, more like i'm constantly amazed at the amount of cool things in the world

[@KubeckDK]

Architect: How close do you want the elevator to your office? Jan Antonín Baťa: Yes.

[@lamnaa]

For a bit of fiction with a overbearing boss this would be genius. Imagine the drama of hearing it move and know someone's in trouble, and seeing it's coming for your floor.

[@xenntric7856]

unfortunate slip up, Bat’as lifespan is apparently -24 years 1:15

[@grig8310]

I’ve lived in the Czech Republic for 15 years, never heard of this, cool video

[@bleuennsimon1077]

A friend who remembered this is the place I went for Erasmus sent this to me and I can't recover. It's just so great to see this place again, even through a video. I've watched so many sunsets from that place. I will never forget Zlin, nor the Tomas Bata Skyscraper!...

[@harbl99]

The Czechs were making some wild stuff in the 1930s. There's an interwar power station in Czechia that's a single span of pre-stressed concrete. It looks like a gothic cathedral built all in parabolas: clear lines; vast windows; a sense of limitless, vaulting space. I was introduced to it in Jonathon Meades' documentary _Concrete Poetry: Bunkers, Brutalism and Bloodymindedness_ (2014).

[@pnutz_2]

oh great another meades video I have to watch

[@guest_informant]

​@@pnutz_2 If you don't know it already, try Googling "Meades Shrine".

[@beth12svist]

Do you remember where it was? I'm Czech and it doesn't ring a bell and Google didn't help, but then neither architecture nor power stations are exactly my forte. 😅

[@chickenpommes19]

I feel like czechia was probably the country that suffered the hardest from ww2 and communism in a purely economical way. Had they ended up on the other side of the iron curtain it would've been equal in standard of living to austria

[@MrToradragon]

@@beth12svist Rather seems like waterworks in Podolí, than as some power plant, certainly it was not one of the "great one", those were build in rather standard manner out of brick and steel. Some of them are still operational today, but perhaps with newer machinery inside.

[@TobiNightcore]

2 things that summon Tom Scott: Weird elevators and weird plumbing. This one (kinda) had both!

[@Ehko4]

The world's smallest to largest jobs, most unimaginable duties preformed by the most willing individuals to the unknowing unluckiest suckers.. Explained by Tom Scott. We love you.

[@Oshino.]

If Tom hadn't warned us, I would've thought that he just got his nails done.

[@erikziak1249]

Have been there and seen it. Another interesting thing about Zlín is that it has since 1953 an interurban trolleybus line to the town of Otrokovice (10km) that is still in operation with a frequent service.