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Bodegas y Viñedos La Mejorada – architect Rafael Moneo’s personal passion

02/02/2012

Rafael Moneo at the La Mejorada bodega

History, tradition, climate and environment are the core elements shared by the worlds of architecture and wine. In recent years, Spain has been witness to several initiatives which have strived to compare the importance of bodega spatial conception and design with the traditional, painstaking work of winemaking. Currently, the Marqués de Riscal bodega, designed by Frank O. Ghery, the Ysios building, by Santiago Calatrava, and the CVNE Viña Real bodega, by Philippe Maziéres, are just some of the examples of how architecture collaborates to integrate landscape, functionality and aesthetics in every process involved in winemaking. However, prestigious Navarra-born architect, Rafael Moneo, has taken things one stop further by involving himself in the Bodegas y Viñedos La Mejorada venture, where architecture, historical tradition, and the interpretation of soils and vineyards give rise to the unique identity which characterises the wines made there.

Architect Rafael Moneo, born in Tudela (Navarra) in 1937, is one of the most prominent figures in his profession both at home and abroad. His extensive career has led him to embark on numerous projects of the magnitude of the Madrid Atocha Railway Station, the Kursaal Conference Centre and Auditorium in San Sebastián, and the Museo del Prado enlargement project, also in Madrid. Among his many accolades, Rafael Moneo boasts the Bellas Artes Gold Medal of Merit bestowed by the Spanish Government, was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa from the Université de Louvain (Belgium) and has been recognised with several honours such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and a Gold Medal from the Académie d'architecture in France.

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