Dezeen promotion: French fireplace company Focus has released a new model to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, inspired by a scene from children's book The Little Prince.
Dominique Imbert, the founder of Focus, created the rounded body fireplace to resemble a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant – a reference to a passage in the popular 1943 children's book.
"In Antoine de Saint Exupéry's wonderful book, The Little Prince, there is a drawing of a boa constrictor that swallowed an elephant," said Imbert.
"This image struck me a lot when I was a child and I always wanted to make it a stove," he continued.
Called Boafocus, the fireplace features a curved, steel body with a glass porthole that gives a circular snapshot view of the flame. It is connected by a narrow, cylindrical chimney.
Much like the brand's broader range of fireplaces, chimneys and barbeques, it has a sculptural form and is designed to be viewed from all directions.
"This gas-tight, central or wall-mounted glass stove, whose feminine silhouette harmoniously occupies the space, offers a rounded view of the flames," said the brand.
"Its undeniable visual impact is added to by its exceptional performance," continued Focus.
The system can be operated by remote control, and is available in either a matte black or grey shade.
The French brand's fireplaces, chimneys and barbecues have been used by architects in numerous projects, from Snøhetta's rippling timber Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion to Theis & Kahn's Bateman's Row.
Imbert's designs have been awarded the French National Prize for Creation and have also been shown at world-renowned design museums including the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm.
For more information, visit the Focus website.