Iconic arcs

The iconic outdoor amphitheatre the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles is as renowned for its live performances as it is for its architecture – a ‘band shell’ comprised of a distinctive set of concentric arches. It was also the key driver for a third generation Southern Californian resident who wanted to transform her backyard.

Enter LA-based designer Daniel Vandenbark, founder and principal of DEZINE, Inc, a firm that specialises in interior and exterior design.

“I was hired to create a contemporary deco garden that is easy to maintain and that could be transformed for dancing, barbecues and wine,” Daniel explains.

Daniel is in the unique position of being an EcoSmart Fire dealer, which he has been doing for over seven years.

“For this Hollywood project, my client already knew about EcoSmart Fire, so it was a very easy sell!” Daniel explains that the design of the fire was inspired by the Hollywood Bowl, which is located close to the home. The concept was to have an arc ‘suspended’ over an Ecosmart's XL900 burner, similar to the arches of the Hollywood Bowl.

“Deco style has been highly influential in Hollywood,” Daniel explains. “Initially we envisioned the arc in concrete, but there were a number of obstacles to achieving this, so I suggested metal. It took my metal fabricator and me a number of hours, and many iterations to come up with a viable solution and get the right fit.

“The idea was for the stainless steel to be as uninterrupted as possible and appear as though it was ‘floating’. Because of the small space, I wanted as much floor space visible as possible to help create the illusion of more space.”

That solution was delivered in the juxtaposition of the cantilevered concrete base to hold the XL900 and completed by the stainless steel arch. “We meticulously measured the ideal arch and created a custom mount to allow that arch to hover with minimal interruption from any vantage point in the garden,” says Daniel.

The ends are allowed to seemingly disappear with the fire-tempered glass, while mimicking the curve of the stainless steel. “I was so nervous with the installation, as the design was such that even a quarter of an inch of error in any detail, it would be completely visible from anywhere in the garden. But it all went exactly as I hoped it would. It was a perfect installation,” Daniel says.

“The metal arc ensures a beautiful outdoor fire with a long, tall flame that glows off the stainless steel. With the XL900 burner you get such a big, full flame.”

Daniel’s signature style has been described as bohemian-eclectic and modern-timeless. He focuses on creating “spiritual environments”, and fire often plays a key role. “Fire is innately spiritual and brings light and spirituality into a space,” Daniel says.

Over the past 12 years, Daniel’s design work has taken him from Southern California to Denver to Houston and New York, and as far as Berlin, Germany and Chamonix, France.

DEZINE’S eco-showroom makes available a wide range of products, including EcoSmart Fire. “We believe in quality, period,” Daniel says. “Aligning ourselves with brands committed to excellence is what makes our job beautiful.”