christ's unsupported arms posed many challenges for the engineers, who were working on the project.       the arms of the figure reach 28 meters from finger to finger, so the statue is almost as wide as it is tall. soapstone was chosen for the outer layer of the figure due to its longevity and resistance to cracking and warping.

christ stands atop of an eight-meter tall pedestal, containing the  our lady of aparecida chapel. the chapel was consecrated in 2006 by the cardinal-archbishop of rio de janeiro, dom eusébio sheid,   making the christ redeemer monument a sanctuary. masses, baptisms, and weddings may be performed rendering the place for the peregrination of the faithful followers.   .