Authorities in Kolkata dismantled a massive statue of footballer Lionel Messi on Monday after residents raised safety concerns [1].
The removal marks a sudden end to a high-profile tribute in West Bengal, highlighting the tension between ambitious public art and urban structural safety.
Located along VIP Road in the Lake Town area, the structure was reported to sway during strong winds [2, 3]. Local residents and authorities said the instability posed a risk to public safety, leading to the decision to take the monument down [1, 3].
Reports on the exact dimensions of the monument vary. Some sources said the statue stood 70 feet tall [2], while another report lists the height as 45 feet [4].
The statue was installed in December 2023 [5]. It remained in place for approximately five to six months before the removal process began [2, 4].
Work to dismantle the figure began earlier this week as officials sought to clear the site [6]. The removal follows a period of scrutiny regarding the statue's stability in the face of local weather conditions [3].
“The structure was reported to sway during strong winds.”
The incident underscores the technical challenges of installing oversized public monuments in densely populated urban corridors. When aesthetic ambition outweighs structural engineering, the resulting safety hazards can lead to the rapid removal of costly installations, potentially impacting future public art initiatives in the region.
