The Brazil project combines upgraded lifts with new escalators and inclined elevators, placing accessibility at the centre of a long-running landmark infrastructure contract.
Otis Brazil, part of Otis Worldwide Corporation, completed technical upgrades to the three elevators serving Alto Corcovado at Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer monument, according to a July 2, 2026 release. The company also reported that it had begun installing four new escalators and two inclined elevators at the site. The project matters beyond equipment renewal because it is intended to improve access to one of Brazil’s most visited landmarks, particularly for people with limited mobility.
The elevators connect visitors arriving through the Corcovado Train with different levels of Alto Corcovado, where Christ the Redeemer stands in Tijuca National Park. Otis said it installed the original elevators and escalators in 2003 and has maintained them since then, making the work an extension of an established relationship rather than a new supplier appointment. The improvements were commissioned by concessionaire Trem do Corcovado under a revitalisation plan established by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, which manages the national park.
The completed elevator modernisation included replacement machinery and controls, alongside new signage, fixtures and buttons for the three Otis Gen2 elevators. The escalators carrying visitors towards the monument are being replaced with four Otis Public Escalators designed for outdoor durability, while two inclined elevators have been customised for the project. Otis said those lifts are intended to provide an alternative for passengers with limited mobility who may not previously have been able to use the escalators or stairs.
The announcement illustrates how accessibility upgrades at major visitor attractions often depend on adapting existing infrastructure rather than replacing an entire system. In this case, the work combines equipment modernisation, environmental requirements and access considerations within a protected public setting. Otis Brazil Managing Director Álvaro Netto described the next phase as a focus on improving the performance of existing systems and expanding access, while the company said its continuing maintenance role would support reliability and minimise future disruption.
The release reported the elevator upgrades as completed on July 2, 2026, while the escalator and inclined-elevator installation remained the next phase of the project. It also noted that 2026 marks 120 years of Otis operations in Brazil, adding historical context to a contract that has already lasted more than two decades. For Otis, the Christ the Redeemer work places long-term maintenance, modernisation and accessibility in a single landmark project, with the eventual visitor impact dependent on the completion and operation of the new equipment.
