First, Elena Colombo created a fire bowl – of Cor-ten steel and fueled by gas. That was in 2002.

Sixteen years and approximately 150 projects later, she is now known by many architects, landscape architects, and exterior lighting designers. Her work can be found from Alaska to Saudi Arabia, and in upscale residences, hotels, and public venues such as The Wharf in Washington, D.C., (see February 2018 cover image).

That sculpture is called the Stainless Steel Branch Twist; it was also sold four other times, each piece done in a different material; one resides in Utah, one in Cabo San Lucas, another in Florida, and one in Montana.

Colombo is clearly a perfectionist. Her work requires great attention to detail, and she imbues it with wonderful creativity. It’s also heavy. She works with various metals, such as Cor-ten steel, bronze and aluminum. Her largest fire bowl weighs one ton.

Branch Wall Slab.

The rendering at bottom right is of her Branch Wall Slab. It’s scheduled for installation in South Hampton, New York, sometime in 2018.

The larger image is of her Turned Fire Torches, which has yet to be purchased. “They’re like spindles,” she says. “I plan to turn them on a lathe. They are really quite fantastical.”

Colombo has moved her operation from Brooklyn to Pennsylvania because “the price of fabrication in Brooklyn, New York, or New Jersey is a little bit crazy. We make our manual pilot ourselves, and the all-weather electronic ignitions are from Fire by Design.”

Do yourself a favor and go to www.firefeatures.com. There you can see all of Elena Colombo’s work over those 16 years.

Fire Features, a division of Colombo Construction Corp.; 342 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Office: (718) 399-2233; Mobile: (212) 334-5069 or visit www.firefeatures.com.