FAH’s Prof. Filipa Simões launches Guide to Neon Signs in Macau
FAH's Prof. Filipa Simões launches Guide to Neon Signs in Macau
09
Feb
09/02/2026
The book launch of the “Guide to Neon Signs in Macau”, authored by Prof. Filipa Simões, Programme Supervisor of the Bachelor of Design at USJ, was held on 29 January at Ponte 9 – Creative Platform.
Prof. Filipa Simões, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), has launched her second publication, “Guide to Neon Signs in Macau”, following her first guide to street art in Macao.
Funded by the Cultural Development Fund and published by the Center for Architecture and Urbanism (CURB), tthe guide features photographs taken in 2025 and provides a unique portrayal of Macao’s neon landscape across the peninsula. The guide is part of a broader research and documentation project aimed at preserving Macao’s neon installations, many of which are being removed or lost to redevelopment.
The publication is conceived as both a documentation instrument and a navigational guide, intended to support public engagement with the city’s remaining neon signage. By providing locational data and contextual information, the guide facilitates self-directed itineraries, on-site observation, photographic recording, and direct interaction with the businesses associated with each sign. Through these mechanisms, the project aims to reinforce recognition of this urban heritage among business owners and the wider public, and to contribute to the continued visibility and transmission of Macao’s neon sign culture.
The event featured a discussion moderated by Prof. Nuno Soares, President of CURB and Head of the Department of Architecture and Design, with the author, Prof. Filipa Simões, and Wilson Kam, the project photographer and alumnus of the Bachelor of Communication and Media at USJ. This illustrates the success of USJ in nurturing talent and encouraging meaningful contributions to the territory’s cultural sector.
Present at the book launch were Mr Lo Chi Keong, Director of the Division of Research and Publications of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mr António Monteiro, Secretary-General of the International Institute of Macau, Prof. Carlos Sena Caires, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities as well as several Associations representatives such as Macau Overseas Design Student Association, Halftone, Macau Cultural Heritage Reinventing Studies Association, Port Culture and History Association, District Development Promotion Association, and Macau Handcraft and Creative People Association.
