Buenos Aires renovates iconic obelisk

The Argentine capitals' postcard landmark, the towering 68-meter Obelisk placed at the center of the city's widest boulevard, is getting a facelift, all washed and newly painted, ahead of its 85th anniversary in May.

The work that was originally scheduled for last year, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic, lasted 60 days.

For two months workers braved its heights to put it in mint condition.

Cleaning and painting the monument has always been a challenge. With a total height of 67.5 meters and a base of only 6.8 meters per side, operators hung from the narrow side carefully working their way down.

To get to the top, the Obelisk has an inner marine staircase with 206 steps.

The Obelisk, designed by architect Alberto Prebisch, was inaugurated on May 23, 1936.