Coimbra, 1960.
Graduated from the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto, where he also taught between
1989 and 1991. He took his PHD in Architecture from Universidade de Coimbra, in 2009, in the field
Theory and History. He has been teaching Architectural Design in the Departamento de Arquitectura da
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra since 1991, where was the assistant of
Professor Architect Fernando Távora between 1991 e 1998.
His work has been widely published, both in national and international publications, in countries such as
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Slovakia, Spain,
Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom and USA. Six monographs have been published
about his work: João Mendes Ribeiro, Obras e Projectos 1996/03 (ASA, 2003), Stop and Start Again (XM,
2003), JMR 92/02, Arquitectura e Cenografia (XM, 2004), Arquitecturas em Palco (Instituto das
Artes/Almedina, 2007), João Mendes Ribeiro, colecção “Arquitectos Portugueses” (Quidnovi, 2011) and
“João Mendes Ribeiro, Projectos”, Archinews 34 (Archi&Book´s, 2016).
He took part in a large number of national and international exhibitions, including the Portuguese
Representation at the 9th and 10th Venice Biennale, in 2004 and 2006; the 11th Prague Quadrennial of
Performance Design and Space, in 2007; and the 7th São Paulo Architecture Bienal, in 2007.
His work has been awarded national and internationally, with prizes such as the Architécti Prize 1997 and
2000, Lisbon; Highly Commended, AR awards for emerging architecture, London, 2000; the Diogo de
Castilho Prize 2003, 2007 and 2011, Coimbra; the Premis FAD d’Arquitectura i Interiorisme 2004,
Barcelona; the AICA Award 2007; the Gold Medal for Best Stage Design, 11th International Exhibition of
Scenography and Theatre Architecture – Prague Quadrennial 2007, Prague; Ibero-American Architecture
and Urbanism Biennial VIII BIAU 2012 (Cadiz) and X BIAU 2016 (Sao Paulo); and the nomination for the
European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe Award 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013
and 2015, Barcelona.
He was shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe
Award in 2001 and 2015 and was a finalist in the II and IV Ibero-American Architecture and Civil
Engineering Biennial, in 2000 and 2004 (Mexico City and Lima), in the Premis FAD 1999, 2001, 2002,
2004, 2006, 2012 and 2016 (Barcelona), in the Enor Prize 2009, 2011 and 2014 (Vigo), in the National
Prize for Architecture in Wood - PNAM 2013, Lisboa and in the IHRU 2015 Prize.
He received, in 2007, the AICA Award for Visual Arts and Architecture given by the International
Association of Art Critics and the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, assigned by his body of work. In 2006 he
was distinguished with the Comenda da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique by the President of Portugal.
Source:
http://www.coavn.org/coavn/bizkaia/16/JMR%20Biografia.pdf