NASTASYA TAY + YIANNIS HADJIASLANIS

Portuguese architect Pancho Guedes arguably redefined the face of Maputo. A Lisbon-born architect, sculptor and painter, brought Eclectic Modernism to the streets of Lourenço Marques - gentle curves,  painstakingly detailed wall murals, angled gutters, all redefined again and again as his insipirations changed - tucked amid colonial relics.

More than 150 of his buildings still stand in Mozambique's capital, some lovingly restored, others forgotten and fading, in disrepair.

In Johannesburg, some of his gems remain nestled among the greenery of Forest Town and Illovo. He now lives in the South African karoo.

We've wandered the streets of Maputo and beyond, documenting Pancho's self-selected life's masterpieces: a list he compiled for us. We'll be sitting down with the man himself, so he can tell us the stories behind his structures, the ideas and inspiration that created some of his greatest work.

A publication is expected in the new year.

You can have a look at some more of Pancho's incredible structures on a preliminary contact sheet here.

To request a password to access our contact sheets or find out more about this ongoing project, get in touch.