Francisco Keil do Amaral

Francisco Keil do Amaral (Lisbon, 1910–1975) was a Portuguese architect, urban planner, designer, and photographer, renowned both for his prominent role in modernist Portuguese architecture and his contributions to design and photography. He graduated from the Lisbon School of Fine Arts and became known for modernising Portuguese architecture, creating emblematic projects that balanced functionality with aesthetic sensitivity. In architecture, Keil do Amaral’s iconic works include the design for Lisbon’s Portela Airport (1942) and the plan for the Monsanto Forest Park (1938–1940). His photographic work, however, remained relatively unknown during his lifetime and was only brought to public attention after the 1980s. His photographic approach was marked by a documentary and humanistic perspective, capturing everyday life and urban spaces. Significant photographic exhibitions of his work include a retrospective at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and another at the Centro de Arte Moderna in 1989. His work is represented in various public and private collections, including those of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the PLMJ Foundation, and the MNAC - Chiado, in Lisbon.