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Located atop the Corcovado Mountain at a height of 710 meters, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is certainly one of the world's best-known and most-visited monuments. The statue of Christ was first conceived in 1921, when the "Monument Week" - a campaign created to gather funds from the Catholic Community - was held. Nevertheless, donations only happened ten years later, due to Arcebishop Dom Sebastião Leme's coordination of the campaign.
Major restoration work was done in the winter of 2000 on the 38 meters tall statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks Rio de Janeiro. The statue has been deteriorating over the years because of climatic effects. The project is the initiative of the Municipality and the Archdiocese of Rio. The project was funded by the Brazilian Environmental Institute, the newspaper "O Globo," and Banco Real.
Building the monument was not easy. Since the execution of this task in Brazil was not possible at the time, the drafts had to be sent to France, to the hands of the Polish sculptor Paul Landowski. Back to the Country, the parts were carried up using the Corcovado Railroad, and joined together up the hill. The statue of Christ the Redeemer pays homage to Rio's religiosity, and has become a symbol of the City and of its people, receiving all visitors with its arms open.
This statue, often called the greatest architectural monument of its time, was restored through a project that includes protection against corrosion, cleaning of the statue, new lighting and a mechanical access system. Since its completion in 1931, the monument has been exposed to strong winds, extreme humidity, and abrupt temperature changes causing severe structural wear.
An impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system was installed to control further corrosion of the steel reinforced concrete that forms the statue. This ICCP system forces a small direct current from the titanium anode mesh, with a design life of more than 75 years and embedded in the mortar, to the reinforcing steel in the mantel. This is not the first time the statue has undergone restoration. However, the most advanced techniques have been used in this project.
Other landmarks: Christ the Redeemer, Colossus, Delhi pillar, Eiffel tower, Golden Gate bridge, Great Buddha, Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao), Guggenheim Museum (NYC), Normandy bridge, Oresund crossing, Quebec Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Thames Barrier, Titanic, Tower of the Orologio, Washington Monument
