Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Scottsdale, Arizona, is temporarily closing after a man died on the property on Friday during a walking tour, reported local news channel AZ Family.
The individual was identified to be Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. According to the Scottsdale Fire Department, the incident took place at 2 p.m. local time, where Mateucci was struck by roofing material dislodged by strong winds while he was on a group walking tour. Mateucci died instantly and the death is being treated as a weather-related accident.
At the time of the incident, local television channels had reported that it was a First Alert Weather Day, where weather teams warn viewers of upcoming events that may disrupt travel or safety. The National Weather Service reported east winds of 22 miles per hour in the area with gusts up to 32 miles per hour. No injuries or other deaths have been reported in regards to the other individuals on the walking tour.
The foundation’s CEO, Joe Spector, told AZ Family that the foundation “extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual” and that “no further details will be shared out of respect for privacy and to allow officials to complete their work.” On Instagram, the foundation wrote that the “Scottsdale Police Department is aware of the incident” and that the property is “closed to the public until further notice.”
Wright built the studio and home in 1937 and lived there until his death in 1959. The property spans across 491 acres. In 1940, New York’s Museum of Modern Art exhibited a complex of the property, and then in 1947, pictures of the structures were displayed.