Rio Removes Unlicensed Glass ‘Floating’ Staircase at Vidigal Over Safety Risks

Overview

• Municipal order and public security agents dismantled the glass-and-metal photo staircase at Mirante do Arvrão on Tuesday, January 13, after inspectors deemed it unsafe.
• City officials said the attraction lacked any municipal license or technical approval required for such installations.
• Technicians judged the structure extremely unstable and warned that sea air could compromise the materials, posing risks to visitors.
• The city learned of the installation on Friday, locked access on Saturday after notifying the owner, then removed it with specialized support on Tuesday with the owner's cooperation.
• The restaurant had promoted the spot on social media and now says it will formally apply for authorization, as the city urges reports of irregular structures via the 1746 service.