A hearth for a metallurgical reactor, in particular for a blast furnace, said hearth comprising: an outer shell and an annular wall lining (16; 216; 316) that is arranged inside said shell and made of refractory material for containing a bath including molten metal; said wall lining having a lower region comprising: a radially inner layer facing the interior of said hearth and comprising at least one inner ring of refractory elements; a radially outer layer facing said outer shell and comprising at least one outer ring of refractory elements; said at least one inner ring comprising elements (21; 221; 321, 321') made of a first carbonaceous refractory material different from one or more carbonaceous refractory materials of which said elements of said outer layer are made; wherein said first refractory material contains, in a proportion of at least 5% by mass in total, at least one property-enhancing additive other than metallic silicon or silicon carbide, and wherein said at least one inner ring has a wall thickness (d) of less than 45%, preferably less than 35%, of the total wall thickness of said wall lining (16; 216; 316) at the height of said inner ring, and wherein said at least one inner ring comprises elements (221; 321) having an anchoring portion (231; 331) on their outer face and said at least one outer ring comprises elements (223; 323) having an anchoring portion (233; 333) on their inner face, each pair of anchoring portions comprising a protrusion having a maximum circumferential measure that is engaged within a recess having a minimum circumferential measure (w) at the face in which said recess is disposed, said maximum circumferential measure of said protrusion being greater than said minimum circumferential measure (w) of said recess, said protrusion and said recess cooperating for securing against dislocation in a radially inward direction and a circumferential direction an element (221; 321) of said inner ring to a corresponding element (223; 323) of said outer ring, and wherein said first refractory material contains 50-85% by mass of carbon and, as an additional property-enhancing additive, 5-20% by mass in total of one or more material(s) chosen from the group of metallic titanium, titanium carbide, titanium nitride and titantium carbonitride or titanium oxide. an outer shell and an annular wall lining (16; 216; 316) that is arranged inside said shell and made of refractory material for containing a bath including molten metal; said wall lining having a lower region comprising: a radially inner layer facing the interior of said hearth and comprising at least one inner ring of refractory elements; a radially outer layer facing said outer shell and comprising at least one outer ring of refractory elements; said at least one inner ring comprising elements (21; 221; 321, 321') made of a first carbonaceous refractory material different from one or more carbonaceous refractory materials of which said elements of said outer layer are made; a radially inner layer facing the interior of said hearth and comprising at least one inner ring of refractory elements; a radially outer layer facing said outer shell and comprising at least one outer ring of refractory elements; said at least one inner ring comprising elements (21; 221; 321, 321') made of a first carbonaceous refractory material different from one or more carbonaceous refractory materials of which said elements of said outer layer are made; wherein said first refractory material contains, in a proportion of at least 5% by mass in total, at least one property-enhancing additive other than metallic silicon or silicon carbide, and wherein said at least one inner ring has a wall thickness (d) of less than 45%, preferably less than 35%, of the total wall thickness of said wall lining (16; 216; 316) at the height of said inner ring, and wherein said at least one inner ring comprises elements (221; 321) having an anchoring portion (231; 331) on their outer face and said at least one outer ring comprises elements (223; 323) having an anchoring portion (233; 333) on their inner face, each pair of anchoring portions comprising a protrusion having a maximum circumferential measure that is engaged within a recess having a minimum circumferential measure (w) at the face in which said recess is disposed, said maximum circumferential measure of said protrusion being greater than said minimum circumferential measure (w) of said recess, said protrusion and said recess cooperating for securing against dislocation in a radially inward direction and a circumferential direction an element (221; 321) of said inner ring to a corresponding element (223; 323) of said outer ring, and wherein said first refractory material contains 50-85% by mass of carbon and, as an additional property-enhancing additive, 5-20% by mass in total of one or more material(s) chosen from the group of metallic titanium, titanium carbide, titanium nitride and titantium carbonitride or titanium oxide.