Pioneers of the contemporary fireplace and originators of the hole in the wall fireplace, the Platonic Fireplace Company was founded by architect Henry Harrison in 1984. His Geolog fire was the first gas fire designed for modern interiors. Since then he has continued to innovate, creating contemporary designs that reinstate the fireplace as the central focus of the modern residence. In private homes and commercial settings, the Platonic approach provides the primal comforts of a traditional fire without compromising contemporary style.
2011 URBINO BALANCED FLUE FIRE
The balanced flue fire originated in Scandinavia, and most of these fires are still imported from abroad. Platonic spent two years researching their own version that would meet the specific design, visual and performance criteria for successful use in the UK. The Urbino to meet all these requirements, and is manufactured in England.
2010 SKYLON STOVE
Taking an adventurous approach to contemporary stove design, the Skylon Stove comprises a curve-fronted rectangular fire box supported with diagonal cast aluminium fins on the four corners. A floating glass shelf adds an element of utility to the design.
2007 FLAMEWAVE & ELECTROSCAPE
Henry Harrison unveils his latest fireplace designs at 100% Design in London. Flamewave, a contemporary wave-form fire shelf, intersects a rectangular cast stone frame with hand-cast driftwood shapes on display. Electroscape, an electronic fireplace takes the synthetic flame effect to a new level of realism.
2006 WINGS OF FLAME
A breakthrough in contemporary fireplace design, Wings of Flame moves the dialogue onto another plane with its suspended aileron of flame. The design won an award at the annual Fires and Fireplaces show in Harrogate, and helped Legend secure Manufacturer of the Year for the second year in succession.
2004 PLATONIC COLLECTION
Marking 20 years of endeavour, Henry Harrison cements his image as an innovator of cutting edge fireplace design by forging an alliance with the manufacturing expertise and reputation for customer service of Blackburn based company, Legend Fires. The result is a breathtaking selection of off-the-peg fireplaces in cast stone and stainless steel, based on this bespoke design featuring the celebrated fire objects. The Platonic Collection is a choice of fireplace settings from classic to minimalist of unparalleled quality and originality.
2003 RIVERSTONES
Platonic commission sculptor Iris Friedler, to produce a visually compelling range of extraordinary and unique fire objects simply called Riverstones.
2002 FIREPLACE ARCHITECTURE
Exploring a contemporary expression of a traditional floor-standing fireplace, Henry Harrison designs Palladio, a unique wide-framed monolithic surround combined with a shelf and under-panel with feature slot. The shelf can utilise either a flat burner, or an architectural bowl, providing a contemporary classical fireplace solution for period homes.
2001 BEACHSCAPE
Henry Harrison’s fireplace designs feature in a number of television home make over programmes. His new fire object range, Beachscape, is shown by Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen on Homefront.
2000 FIRESCAPE
The concept of the hole in the wall fireplace is made more accessible by the introduction of an off-the-peg fireplace comprising a kit of parts; stainless steel surround, flat burner, limestone hearth, fire objects and remote control. The first fireplace for the intelligent home!
1998 GEOCOALS
A miniature version of Geologs called Geocoals are factory manufactured (to keep down the costs) and produced in primary colours. These can be used to replace kitsch coals, within existing fire grates, or combined with other Platonic products to mark a further step away from the traditional fireplace.
1996 SHELF FIRE
Seeking an alternative to the hole in the wall concept, Henry Harrison arrives at the idea of a simple suspended granite shelf featuring a circular burner and an informal mound of fire objects; the first contemporary shelf fire.
1992 HOLE-IN-THE-WALL FIREPLACE
Breaking away from floor standing fireplaces with all their attendant paraphernalia i.e. mantles and pilasters, fire fenders and fire dogs, baskets and brass coal scuttles, Henry Harrison designs a stripped-down minimalist hole-in-the-wall contemporary fireplace with a stone surround, but no hearth.
1986 FIRE PEBBLES
Extending the range of non-kitsch (i.e. imitation fire forms like coals and logs) fire objects, Henry Harrison devises architectural fragments (standing stones, Corinthian capitals) culminating in fire pebbles. These are hand-cast from found beach pebbles, with the look, weight and randomness of the original, but with the fire integrity they lacked!
1984 THE GEOLOG FIRE
Henry Harrison designs the first fireplace for contemporary interiors: the Geolog Fire. Comprising a gridded chrome finished basket featuring contemporary cast geometric forms; the original Platonic Solids Published in the World of Interiors, this fire caught the imagination of designers and kick-started the Platonic Fireplace Company.