Museum report·Scottsdale
Brazilian university rector killed by wind-borne roofing debris during a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West
Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, died when roofing material dislodged by strong winds struck him during a walking tour at Taliesin West in Scottsdale. The Frank Lloyd Wright site is closed to the public until further notice.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, has closed to the public after a man was killed on the property during a walking tour on Friday afternoon. The victim was identified as Rogério Renato Mateucci, the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil.
According to the Scottsdale Fire Department, the incident occurred at around 2 p.m. local time. Mateucci was struck by roofing material that had been torn loose by strong winds while he was on a group tour of the grounds. He died instantly, and authorities are treating the death as a weather-related accident. No one else on the tour was injured.
Local television had designated the day a First Alert Weather Day, warning viewers of conditions that could disrupt travel or threaten safety. The National Weather Service reported easterly winds of about 22 miles per hour in the area, with gusts reaching 32 miles per hour. Joe Spector, the chief executive of the foundation that runs the site, extended condolences to Mateucci's family and said no further details would be released out of respect for privacy and to let officials finish their work. In a post on Instagram, the foundation said the Scottsdale Police Department was aware of the incident and that the property would remain closed until further notice.
Taliesin West was built by Wright in 1937 as his winter home and studio, and he lived there until his death in 1959. The desert compound spans 491 acres and was exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art as early as 1940, a measure of its standing in the canon of modern architecture. The temporary shutdown suspends tours of one of the most visited architectural landmarks in the American Southwest.


