Climbing a mountain to build a statue 30 meters high requires more than money—knowledge, determination, and vision. Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro had all of that. Built between 1922 and 1931, it is not only the world’s most striking example of Art Deco sculpture, but was also chosen as one of the Seven Modern Wonders in 2007, and a World Heritage site in 2012. Below we share some images showing the construction process. Time has stolen many details, but not everything is lost...
The Monument's Details
The statue stands on Corcovado Mountain (710 meters), within Tijuca National Park, in Rio de Janeiro. Despite what one of the images below suggests, the final height of Christ the Redeemer is 38 meters including the base, and 28 meters from one side to the other. It took 635 tons of concrete and steatite (also known as soapstone). As a final colorful detail: that wasn’t the original design; the plan was for Christ to hold the world in one hand and a cross in the other.
Construction Images
Source: Vintage Everyday
