Taliesin West Shut After Visitor Killed by Falling Roof Panel
Taliesin West, the iconic home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been closed since October 16 due to the unfortunate death of Rogério Renato Mateucci, a visitor who was killed by falling debris. He was touring the site when strong winds of 32 mph caused an acrylic panel to hit him, leading to his death at the scene. Vidal Martins, a colleague from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil, expressed worries about the safety of the roofing after seeing a photo of the damaged area. A former employee also mentioned past roofing problems. Authorities are treating the incident as a weather-related accident, while the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation hasn't shared updates on safety or when they plan to reopen.
Key facts
- Visitor Rogério Renato Mateucci was killed at Taliesin West on 16 October when wind-blown acrylic roof debris struck him during a walking tour
- Wind gusts reached 32mph at the time of the accident
- Mateucci was rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil and was in the US for an event at Arizona State University
- The site in Scottsdale, Arizona, remains closed until further notice
- Police are investigating the death as a weather-related accident
- A former employee said he had seen two other objects break loose from the roof and had filmed a panel coming partially loose during a monsoon
- Taliesin West was established in 1937 and spans 491 acres in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains
- A 2011 energy audit found the acrylic roofs not energy efficient; the foundation has been planning to replace them with modern fabric roofs
Entities
Artists
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Rogério Renato Mateucci
- Vidal Martins
- Joe Spector
- Rebecca Barron
Institutions
- Taliesin West
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
- Scottsdale Fire Department
- Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná
- Arizona State University
- The Arizona Republic
- Unesco
- Fallingwater
- UNESCO
Locations
- Scottsdale
- United States
- Arizona
- Sonoran Desert
- Brazil
- Paraná
- McDowell Mountains