With new safety measures in place, the Foundation was “confident that Taliesin West is safe for visitors” ahead of reopening on Saturday.
Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home in Scottsdale, AZ has officially reopened following a freak accident that killed a visiting dignitary.
Taliesin West reopened to the public on Saturday, Oct. 24, eight days after Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was killed while on a walking tour of the property on October 16.
Mateucci, a top official at Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil, was stuck by a piece of roofing material dislodged by strong winds, police have now confirmed.
The National Weather Service reported east winds of 22 mph in Scottsdale on the day of the fatal accident, with gusts up to 32 mph.
Scottsdale police Sgt. Allison Sempsis told The Bee that a piece of acrylic glass struck Mateucci and that the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation cooperated with the investigation.
“The Foundation mourns the loss of Rogério Renato Mateucci, who tragically died on October 16 in an accident at Taliesin West,” said Joseph Specter, President and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, in a statement provided to Realtor.com. “We continue to hold Mr. Mateucci and his loved ones in our hearts and continue to offer our deepest condolences.”
While the property was closed to the public for the police investigation, which determined the incident was weather-related, the Foundation conducted a thorough safety inspection of the Taliesin West, including its roofing and structures, according to the statement.
“Weather Station technology has been added to enhance our existing safety procedures at the site, to assess temperature, wind speed, air pressure, and rain,” said Specter. “This will offer the Foundation localized safety data to further inform the daily practice of opening our site to the public.”
With the inspection complete and safety measures in place, Specter said the Foundation was “confident that Taliesin West is safe for visitors” and prepared to reopen the property on Saturday.
Taliesin West was established in 1937 as a winter getaway for Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices. The campus, which was designed to reflect the ruggedness of the desert landscape, was originally constructed with canvas panels for the roof, instead of traditional materials.
Interior view of Taliesin West, winter home and school of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale, AZ (Carrie - stock.adobe.com) After Wright’s death in 1959, the home was updated to allow for year-round occupation by the foundation and Taliesin Institute. Updates included replacing the canvas roof with insulated acrylic panels, inclosing interior spaces, and adding air conditioning.
In recent years, the Taliesin Institute has been looking into ways to return to a fabric roofing system using more durable materials that weren’t around during Wright’s lifetime, according to a May interview with Rebecca Barron, Director of Preservation at the Taliesin Institute.
The exploration of modern materials is part of the Taliesin Institute’s value-based preservation, through which it considers the physical structure and aesthetics of a site in addition to preserving the “intangible heritage” of the site.
“In this way, the fabric roof project continues to ongoing process of innovation and experimentation that was always at the heart of this place,” said Barron.
Authorities have not tied the October 16 accident to the Institute’s preservation work, and the exact origin of the panel that struck Mateucci remains unclear.