Name: Arena do Vidro
Director: Leandro Caldas
Genre: Reality
Cast: Janael Hipólito, Rômulo Sullivan

Episodes

Episode 1 · 08/04/2026 · 32 min

Janael vs. Rômulo: the Hello Kitty mirror in 1h30

Reproduce a mirror with LED, sandblasted band and touch switch in 1 hour and 30 minutes. The mirror came cut on the Router Glass; the vinyl had to be cut by hand.

Score: Janael 6 × Rômulo 7,5

Janael vs. Rômulo: the Hello Kitty mirror in 1h30

Episode 2 · 08/13/2026 · 16 min

Janael vs. Rômulo: who sold the mirror on the street first?

Part 1: make a mirror in 10 minutes, any shape and finish, cut by hand. Part 2: hit the street and sell that mirror within 15 minutes. Selling earns 5 points, plus the judges' score.

Score: Janael 9 × Rômulo 7

Janael vs. Rômulo: who sold the mirror on the street first?

Episode 3 · 10/09/2026 · 15 min

Janael vs. Rômulo: cutting a mirror by hand without touching the template

Cut a mirror exactly to one of two templates in 20 minutes, cut only (no edging), without laying the template on the glass.

Score: Janael empate × Rômulo empate

Janael vs. Rômulo: cutting a mirror by hand without touching the template

Episode 4 · 10/09/2026 · 23 min

The grand finale: a metal-framed mirror and the R$ 10,000 champion

In 60 minutes, make a mirror of any shape and size with a metal frame (square tube and flat bar) that stands up on its own. Two minutes to sketch and plan the metal cuts; then 10 minutes of help from a metalworker (Rui or Peterson).

Score: Janael 29,37 × Rômulo 27,12

The grand finale: a metal-framed mirror and the R$ 10,000 champion

🏆 Janael Hipólito is the season 1 champion and takes the R$ 10,000 (29.37 vs 27.12 in the finale).

Contestants

Janael Hipólito

8 years in glass · @espelhos_janael

Eight years in the glass trade. Fast at break-out and edging; struggled with hand-cut vinyl in EP1 and sold the mirror in 35 seconds in EP2.

Rômulo Sullivan

5 years in glass · @monteglass_

Five years in the trade, owner of Monte Glass (named after Psalm 121). Steady and skilled by hand; won EP1 and smashed his rival's mirror.

The judges

Vinícius

Came from Rio de Janeiro. Thirty years in glass. The perfectionist on the panel: "Would you buy what you made?"

Natan

From Peru. Judges in Spanish and, in EP2, sold a mirror on the street in Spanish too.

Rui

The toughest scorer. In EP1 he summed it up: "the only thing that matches is the cut, and you didn't make it, the machine did".

Pet

Routeck partner. Looks at fidelity to the brief and at each contestant's progress.

How it works

Two invited glaziers who know each other but knew nothing before arriving.
Four challenges, each with its own difficulty and clock: from 1h30 at the bench to 10 minutes to make a mirror and 15 to sell it on the street.
A panel of four judges, scoring 0 to 10 per challenge. Selling on the street is worth 5 extra points.
Arena machines: Router Glass (CNC cutting and laser vinyl cutting), Jateck (dust-free sandblasting) and the Portable Edger (wet edging).
Prize: R$ 10,000 for the season champion. Whoever wins an episode gets to smash the rival's mirror.

Behind the scenes

"I created a MasterChef-style reality show, but for glaziers." The references were Forged in Fire and MrBeast's videos; TV experience, none. The set is Routeck's own mirror factory, already there, and the judges' table was built in the middle of the plant.

Low budget, a videomaker shooting the first reality show of his life, GoPros strapped to the contestants, signed contracts and breakfast as the only meal of the day. The idea was spontaneity: only Leandro and his crew knew the format.

Blog

10/20/2026 · by Leandro Caldas, glazier, founder of Routeck and creator of the Arena

How to judge a finished LED mirror: "would you buy what you made?"

What to check on a finished LED mirror before delivery: outline, size, frosted band, touch button and finish. The checklist from the judges' scoring in EP1.

Read →