Frank Lloyd Wright and the Vertical Dimension. The Virtual Reconstruction of the Rogers Lacy Hotel in Dallas

This paper investigates the unrealized Rogers Lacy Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Dallas in 1946 through historical research, digital reconstruction, and environmental simulation. Starting from original drawings, plans, sections, and perspective views, the authors develop a BIM-based three-dimensional model to analyze the architectural evolution of the project and its relationship with Wright’s broader ideas on skyscrapers and urban space. The study highlights how the design synthesized themes from earlier works such as St. Mark’s Tower, Price Tower, and the Romeo & Juliet windmill, while proposing an innovative glass curtainwall with translucent fiberglass insulation. The virtual reconstruction also places the building within the present-day urban context of Dallas and evaluates interior daylight performance through lighting simulations based on LEED-related criteria. Results show how digital modelling can reveal unresolved design inconsistencies, test hypothetical environmental behavior, and reassess an unbuilt project as a visionary contribution to twentieth-century vertical architecture.