José Rafael Moneo Vallés (born May 9, 1937) is a Spanish architect known for his ability to blend contemporary and historically referential elements in his designs. He won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1996 and has received numerous other accolades, including the Praemium Imperiale in 2017.
Moneo studied architecture at the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM), earning his degree in 1961. He established his own firm in Madrid in 1965 and began teaching at ETSAM in 1966. His early works include the Diestre Factory in Zaragoza (1967) and the Bankinter office headquarters (1976).
One of his most celebrated projects is the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida (1986), which gained international recognition for its structural arches inspired by the ancient Roman theater nearby. Other notable works include the Atocha railway station expansion in Madrid (1992), the Prado Museum addition (2007), and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles (2002).
Moneo also had a significant academic career, serving as chair of the architecture department at Harvard University from 1985 to 1990. His influence extends across Europe and the United States, with projects such as the Davis Art Museum at Wellesley College and the Audrey Jones Beck Building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
