Introducing the ARIA Luminaire Challenge
Design it. ARIA will make it.
Meet ARIA. She’s tall, bright orange and rather hard to miss.
She’s the UK’s first robotic additive manufacturing system dedicated to lighting, turning digital designs into large-scale, 3D-printed luminaires one carefully controlled layer at a time.
At her home in Yorkshire, ARIA uses robotic additive manufacturing to create complex forms that would be difficult to achieve using conventional production methods. The process requires no moulds or tooling and places material only where it’s needed.
Now we’d like to see what you would ask her to make.
The Lumi Studio has teamed up with Recolight to launch a competition inviting designers to create an original luminaire for robotic additive manufacture. The winning design will be made by ARIA using recycled transparent PETG and unveiled at Circular Lighting Live 2026 in London.
The brief
Design an original luminaire that demonstrates how robotic additive manufacturing could enable more sustainable, circular and imaginative lighting.
We’re not looking for a conventionally manufactured product recreated on a 3D printer. Your design should make proper use of the freedom the process offers.
Think about form, material use, assembly, disassembly, repair and what happens at the end of the product’s life. Consider how the transparency of the material, printed layer pattern and wall thickness could be used to shape, diffuse or reveal the light.
The finished luminaire must:
- Fit within a maximum build volume of 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 metres
- Measure at least 0.25 metres in each dimension
- Be suitable for manufacture in recycled transparent PETG
Entries will be judged on:
- Originality
- Aesthetic quality
- Suitability for robotic additive manufacture
- Circular design principles
- Efficient use of material
- Potential for commercial manufacture
How to enter
The competition is open to anyone entering as an individual. Entries submitted by or on behalf of a company, studio or other organisation will not be accepted.
Each person may submit one entry only.
Submit your luminaire design as a STEP file by Friday 25 September 2026.
Please also include:
- At least four rendered images of the design
- A description of the concept, limited to 400 words
A panel of lighting design and circular economy specialists will shortlist the entries before selecting one winning design to be manufactured by ARIA.
Email your entry to ray.molony@recolight.co.uk.
A PDF guide to designing for Aria is available here:
Terms and conditions
- The competition is open to individual entrants only. Entries from companies, studios or other organisations will not be accepted.
- Each entrant may submit one design only.
- Entries must include a STEP file, at least four rendered images and a concept description of no more than 400 words.
- Designs must fit within a maximum build volume of 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 metres and measure at least 0.25 metres in each dimension.
- The winning design will be manufactured in recycled transparent PETG.
- Intellectual property remains with the entrant. By entering, entrants grant The Lumi Studio and Recolight a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and reproduce submitted designs for judging, competition promotion and publicity connected with Circular Lighting Live.
- The winning design may be manufactured and displayed by The Lumi Studio and Recolight as part of the competition. This does not transfer ownership of the intellectual property.
- The judges may work with the winner to make reasonable changes required for manufacture, structural integrity or safety.
- Manufacture of the winning design is subject to practical limitations, including build volume, material availability, structural performance and production time.
- The winner agrees to reasonable publicity associated with the competition, including photography, interviews and promotional activity.
- The judges’ decision is final.
