Is it the size that matters?

Think about Rio de Janeiro. What is the first image that comes to your mind, even if you've never been there? And I mean image, not your late-night fantasies.

Copacabana and its snaky black and white cobbled pavement?

Sipping cold coconut water on the hot sand?

Golden bodies in Brazilian bikinis?

Carnival parade?

Hopefully some of you did think of Christ the Redeemer with his outstretched arms, overlooking Guanabara Bay. Whether you are religious or not, there’s no point denying that this statue is one of the most commonly recognised landmarks of Brazil (and Rio de Janeiro in particular) and due to its impressive size (between 30 m /98.5 ft and 39m – there is contrasting info) has often been envied.

I was surprised to find out that in my motherland, Poland, a similar construction was raised in 2010 in a tiny winy towny of Świebodzin. I think the intention was to make it even bigger than the one in Rio. Was it to show the magnitude of Polish religiousness or ego, I wonder. So, our Polish Christ the King is 33 metres tall, to mark the age at Jesus’ death, apparently, and together with the mound on which it is built it reaches 52.5 metres. One way or another, it’s taller than the Rio statue. In your face, Rio!

Source: http://www.giganticstatues.com/christ-the-king-statue/

 Ok, perhaps this take is a bit unfortunate, let’s try again...

Source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=67552699

Erm... the view doesn't seem quite right...

But what do I see? Another Jesus? In Cochabamba, Bolivia. No way Jose, only 40 metres, including the pedestal. What a joke. 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cristo_de_la_Concordia_02.jpg

The priest of Świebodzin must have been sad to learn that it stands competition also from Lima, Peru, where Cristo del Pacífico was kindly left by the president to look after the Peruvian nation. 30 metres. No chance.

Source: http://ayaviri.info/2011/06/presidente-alan-garcia-inaugura-cristo-del-pacifico/

Early this year, news spread that a replica of Cristo Redentor might appear on the skyline of... Wait for it, wait for it! London. Primrose Hill to be precise. With the permission (and financial contribution) of the Brazilian government, the monument would mark the moment London passes the Olympic torch over to Rio. Metaphorically, of course. Primrose Hill may not be Corcovado, but perhaps it’s worth a go.  From a mass of comments under the article in the Guardian on the matter, I picked the following few: 

"how about a 6 inch marquette of Borris the irredeemable instead"

"The Olympics are surely a secular celebration of physical excellence? If you MUST align it to a fictional deity, surely Zeus would be far more appropriate in this instance?"

"Can we have Gisele instead?"

Hilarious.

They’re all forgetting one thing. You may have the tallest Jesus on this planet, but what really counts is the view! 

Source:http://www.lovethesepics.com/2011/04/christ-the-redeemer-statue-1-of-7-new-wonders-of-the-world-45-inspiring-pics/