The unit is recessed into the thickness of the wall. The firebox, with its brushed stainless-steel frame, opens at the back of a masonry niche built in pale refractory blocks, with the reveals and lintel left exposed.
Beneath the firebox, two stone shelves span the full width of the niche. They are not makeshift storage: set in the downward flow of heat, they stay warm and are used to dry kindling, or to keep a dish hot.
Recessing makes sense when floor space is short: the mass does not eat into the room, it occupies a wall thickness that would otherwise have served no purpose. It does, however, require the insulation between the mass and the building’s masonry to be dealt with, or the party wall gets heated.
Built in Rungis, in the Val-de-Marne.
