By Richard Claypool
Focus, the French company that is known for a collection of suspended and rotating modern fireplaces, has added bioethanol products to its range of wood, gas and electric units.
The company’s suspended Ergofocus, Gyrofocus and Domofocus product lines are now available in a version that is fueled by bioethanol–a type of alcohol that is made from different types of cellulose-rich plants such as sugar cane, sugar beet or some grains like corn.
“First and foremost, this innovation represents a true revolution in installation freedom,” the company says in a release announcing the news. “With no external flue and no need for the installation and connection this would require, Focus fireplaces can now be showcased anywhere: in flats with no chimney ducts, on any floor, in hotels, restaurants, shops, or in areas where wood burning is banned. The choice of bioethanol offers unprecedented liberty of installation, expanding the possibilities for those who love design or the comfort of a fire.”
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Focus says this new range of products was developed in partnership with the French specialist
in high-end bioethanol burners Ignisial Paris and is designed to be autonomous, operating with an electric battery. Homeowners can operate the fully electronic burners by remote control.
The company’s three iconic lines includes the Gyrofocus (introduced in 1968), which was the first suspended, 360-degree pivoting model; the Ergofocus (1983), a rotating suspended central gas model; and Domofocus (2015), which has a larger hearth opening that gives it a more generous “smile” than the previous models. Each model has now been converted to bioethanol.
“After decades of developing wood-burning fireplaces, followed by the more recent introduction of gas and electric/holographic fireplaces, Focus is continuing to diversify energy types for its fireplaces, while retaining the original design that has made them such a success,” the company says. “The Ergofocus is a perfect illustration, now available in four different energy types: two require an external flue (eco-designed wood and gas) and two, aimed at the home decor market, do not (electric/holographic and bioethanol).”
Focus explains that when artist and company founder Dominique Imbert created the Gyrofocus in 1968, it was a complete outlier in the world of fireplaces, which until then had been embedded in walls. His suspended steel Gyrofocus and its 1.25-meter-diameter hearth that pivots 360 degrees marked a real break with the past. Today, it’s a classic of 20th-century international design and the symbol of the brand, the company says.
Focus fireplaces are available in the U.S. market from European Home in Middleton, Mass.
