Phase 1: The Vision and the Framework

Phase 1: The Vision and the Framework

The project began as an impossible dream of engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculptor Paul Landowski. Because there were no computers to calculate stress, the team had to rely on radical innovation. The statue would not be carved from solid stone, as the elements at such an altitude would have eroded it quickly. Instead, it would be a "hollow" masterpiece.

The team constructed a skeleton composed of reinforced concrete. This was a pioneering choice for the era. To ensure the structure could withstand the ferocious winds of Corcovado—some reaching 100 miles per hour—the engineers designed a complex lattice of steel bars.