Rog茅rio Silva de Ara煤jo鈥檚 55m-tall design will seat 10,000 worshippers

Planning permission has been granted for a 10,000-seat 鈥渕ega-church鈥� in Brazil鈥檚 economic capital, Sao Paulo.

According to a report in the Guardian, the 18-storey structure, which will cost around 拢130m and take four years to complete, will house a replica of the Ark of the Covenant and be built according to 鈥渂iblical orientations鈥�.

The church is being built by Brazil鈥檚 controversial Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and has been designed by Brazilian architect Rog茅rio Silva de Ara煤jo.

It includes a car park for 1,000 vehicles, TV and radio studios, and classrooms for 1,300 children. At 55m high, it will be twice the height of Rio鈥檚 Christ the Redeemer statue.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God claims an estimated 8 million followers in 180 countries worldwide, with a TV channel and a free newspaper. In 2009, S茫o Paulo鈥檚 public prosecutor accused 10 senior members of the church of siphoning off billions of dollars of donations to buy cars and property.

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