José Rafael Moneo Vallés, was born in Tudela, Spain, studied at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) from which he received his architectural degree in 1961. Spanish constructions of his design include the renovation of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, an expansion of the Madrid Atocha railway station, the Diestre Factory in Zaragoza, Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation in Majorca the headquarters of the Bankinter and Town Hall in Logroño.
 
He also designed the annex to the Murcia Town Hall, which was completed in 1998. His latest works are the enlargement of the Prado Museum and the extension of the Bank of Spain, an almost totally mimetic reproduction of the existing building. In 1996 he won the Pritzker Prize for architecture, in 2012, he is awarded with 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts. According to the jury, Moneo is a Spanish architect of universal scope whose work enriches urban spaces with an architecture that is serene and meticulous. An acknowledged master in both the academic and professional field, Moneo leaves his own mark on each of his creations, at the same time as combining aesthetics with functionality, especially in the airy interiors that act as impeccable settings for great works of culture and the spirit.