An icon of Rio de Janeiro's landscape and a must-see destination for tourists from around the world, the fascination surrounding Christ the Redeemer conceals a compelling construction history. Standing 38 meters tall atop Mount Corcovado and weighing nearly one thousand tons, the monumental project was designed by engineer Heitor da Costa Silva and took approximately five years to build (1926–1931). Based on Silva's initial drawings, the project was finalized with contributions from artist Carlos Oswald and French sculptor Paul Landowski, who was responsible for modeling all the components that make up the statue.
The concept for the project began to take shape in 1921, following discussions among Rio de Janeiro's government officials. In 1923, a design competition was held, which was won by Costa Silva. Construction did not begin until 1926, after full funding had been raised to bring the monumental project to life, which was finally completed in October 1931.
