Manuel Aires Mateus

Manuel Aires Mateus is a renowned Portuguese architect born in Lisbon in 1963. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon in 1986 and began his career collaborating with Gonçalo Byrne. In 1988, he founded the Aires Mateus office with his brother Francisco, establishing himself as one of the great references in contemporary architecture in Portugal.

The work of the Aires Mateus studio is characterised by a minimalist architectural language, with simple geometric shapes, sensitive use of natural light and a strong relationship with the surrounding context. Among his most emblematic projects are the Museum of the Sea in Cascais and the Centre for Contemporary Creation in Tours, as well as various residences with a refined design throughout Portugal.

Alongside his professional practice, Manuel Aires Mateus maintains a solid academic career, teaching at the Autonomous University of Lisbon and at international institutions such as the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio in Switzerland.

His architecture is often associated with a minimalist and poetic aesthetic, with great emphasis on materiality, contrasts of light and shadow and the sensory experience of space.