Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West closes after visitor killed by wind-blown debris

On Friday, October 16, a Brazilian university rector named Rogério Renato Mateucci lost his life in an unfortunate incident at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona. The cause of death was a piece of roof material that fell on him during a walking tour. The Scottsdale Police Department confirmed that the heavy winds had dislodged the debris, and Mateucci succumbed to the injury instantly.

The cause of this tragic event is currently under investigation as a weather-related incident. The statement from the Scottsdale Police Department's spokesperson was conveyed to Hyperallergic.

Mateucci had held the position of rector at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil since 2022. He had also earned several degrees in higher education leadership while being a member of the Marist Catholic order.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which owns and operates the property, expressed its deepest sympathies to Mateucci's family and loved ones in a statement shared on Instagram. They have requested that no further details be shared out of respect for privacy and to allow officials to complete their work. As a result, the property has been closed to the public until further notice.