Moneo, Rafael, << maw NAY oh, rah fah EHL >> (1937-…), is an influential Spanish architect and teacher. Moneo’s work stresses the connection between the site and its surroundings. His buildings are characterized by the use of exquisitely crafted traditional materials. His projects have been praised for the important role they play in the daily life of city residents. In 1996, Moneo was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious international award in architecture (see Pritzker Architecture Prize).
Moneo’s best-known project is the National Museum of Roman Art, completed in 1986 in Mérida, Spain. Mérida is a city with many Roman ruins. The museum is built over an excavated archaeological site and reflects the ancient Roman character of the environment with its dramatic arches. Raised walkways allow visitors to appreciate the ruins from above. The project is also noted for Moneo’s powerful manipulation of light.
Moneo’s first important project was the brick-and-steel Diestre Transformer Factory in Saragossa, Spain (1967). His other major projects in Spain include the Urumea Residential Building (1971) in San Sebastián, the Town Hall in Logroño (1981), the headquarters for the Previsión Española insurance company (1987) in Seville, the San Pablo Airport (1992) in Seville, the conversion of the Villahermosa Palace (1992) in Madrid into a museum, and the expansion of the Prado Museum (2007) in Madrid. Outside Spain, Moneo has designed the Davis Museum and Cultural Center (1993) at Wellesley College in Massachusetts; the Museum of Modern Art and Architecture (1997) in Stockholm in Sweden; the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (2002) in Los Angeles; the Chace Center (2008) at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence; and the Northwest Corner Building (2010), a science and engineering building for Columbia University in New York City.
José Rafael Moneo Vallés was born on May 9, 1937, in Tudela, Spain. He received a diploma in architecture in 1961 and a Ph.D. in architecture in 1965 from the Madrid University School of Architecture. Moneo was a professor at the university from 1966 to 1970. He then taught architectural theory at the University of Barcelona from 1970 to 1980. He returned to Madrid University as a professor from 1980 to 1985. Moneo gained international fame in 1985 with his appointment as chairman of the Department of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He held the position until 1990 and continues to teach at Harvard periodically.
