Christ the Redeemer was completed in 1931. The monumental Art Deco statue stands atop Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was officially dedicated on October 12 of that year.
Construction began in 1922 after the project’s design evolved from an earlier concept showing Christ holding a globe and cross. Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa led the work, French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski created the sculptural design, and Albert Caquot helped engineer its reinforced-concrete structure. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida created the face.
The statue is 30 metres tall, with an additional 8-metre pedestal, and its outstretched arms span 28 metres. Its concrete core is covered with triangular soapstone tiles, selected for durability and ease of shaping. The monument became an international symbol of Rio and Brazil.
A common mix-up is 2007, when Christ the Redeemer was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. That recognition occurred decades after the statue itself was completed.