The Moorish Barracks are located near the crest of Barra Hill on Macao peninsula, standing atop a granite embankment raised above street level.

A giant anchor can be seen on the turf next to the building’s entrance; a reminder Macao was a once a thriving fishing port.

The building is a pale yellow colour, with most of the details picked out in white. It is a brick and stone structure in neoclassical style, with Mughal influences, and part of the Historic Centre of Macao, which is classified by UNESCO.

The decorations of the building’s arches and the arrangement of the rectangular and pointed ornamentation on the parapet walls resemble mosaics and give a sense of gracefulness and rhythm to the architecture.

Spacious 4-metre-wide verandas framed by the building’s pointed arches run along the sides of the barracks, except that side facing Barra Hill. The verandas enhance the views available from the building, and are also an ideal response to the local climate.

Spacious 4-metre-wide verandas framed by the building’s pointed arches run along the sides of the barracks, except that side facing Barra Hill. The verandas enhance the views available from the building, and are also an ideal response to the local climate.

The Moorish Barracks were constructed to accommodate a regiment from Goa, made up of ethnic Indian troops and assigned to reinforce Macao’s police force. The building now serves as the headquarters of the Marine and Water Bureau.

Most of the building has one storey, except for the portion at the rear, which has two.

Most of the building has one storey, except for the portion at the rear, which has two.

The location of the Bureau’s new office building behind the Moorish Barracks is designed to embody the idea of an “urban corridor”, where Members of the public can get close to the historic building.