Interview by Rui Pastorin
Black and white photos taken by Portuguese photographer António Duarte Mil-Homens are being displayed at Casa Garden until April 5, being not only a showcase of architectural photography, but a homage to the late Macanese architect José Maneiras (1935-2025).
The exhibition, “José Maneiras: From Architecture to Urban Management in Macau”, is held as part of the 15th Macau Literary Festival – The Script Road and features 49 photos. With the exception of one recent image, all were shot by the Lisbon-born photographer back in 2018 when he was commissioned by Docomomo Macau, a non-profit organisation promoting public interest and recognition of modern architecture, for the exhibition “José Maneiras – Macanese Modernism”.
Eight years since the initial exhibition and months since Maneiras’ passing, Mil-Homens told the Post that he wanted to pay homage to the local architect, who he remembers fondly and has great respect for. A self-taught lensman who has taken pictures for nearly 52 years, Mil-Homens highlights Macau-born Maneiras’ many projects in Macau, with among the works photographed being the Residence for the Visually Impaired in Areia Preta, the Houses on Estrada do Visconde de São Januário, and Torre de Funcionários (“Civil Servants’ Tower”) em São Francisco. Captured are not only the projects in their entirety, but the smaller intricacies and details as well.
Maneiras studied architecture at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Fine Arts, graduating in 1962. When he returned to Macau, Mil-Homens said, Maneiras brought with him a kind of new Western way of building, which he also kept adapting and rethinking. He highlighted the architect’s design considerations and special details found in projects like the Residence for the Visually Impaired, taking into account challenges while designing with purpose.
Looking back at the 2018 project, Mil-Homens noted that it was a pleasure for him to take the pictures and was happy for them to be showcased again. “It’s a way of remembering [Maneiras]” and to admire as well as appreciate both his work and mindset. It goes beyond being for those who met him, but even young people who are studying architecture.
“He was really an amazing person. I’m pretty sure there is nobody that knew him along his life that disliked him. It’s impossible. The kind of person he was, it was a pleasure to talk with him”, Mil-Homens said of the architect, noting that the literary festival was both the right time and place for this to be done.
Maneiras, who passed away at the age of 90 in November 2025, was described on the Docomomo website as being a “seminal figure of Modern Architecture in Macau and a key contributor to the creation of a practice rooted in territory, climate, and community”. He was also the president of Leal Senado (now the Macau Municipal Affairs Bureau/IAM) from 1989 to 1993, adding that he was also made an honorary member of the Portuguese Order of Architects in 2006, and one of the founders of the Macau Architects Association in 1987.
António Duarte Mil-Homens introduces the photos displayed at his exhibition about late Macanese architect José Maneiras at Casa Garden. – Photos taken last night by Rui Pastorin
