A burner assembly for top combustion hot blast stove comprising a burner surrounded by a burner shell , wherein said burner has a circular cross-section; a number of air nozzles arranged for tangentially feeding air to the burner , the air nozzles being connected to two or more air distribution chambers ; a number of gas nozzles arranged for tangentially feeding gas to the burner , the gas nozzles being connected to two or more gas distribution chambers ; wherein the two or more air distribution chambers (121 or 122) are inclined or vertical and the air nozzles are arranged in two or more inclined or vertical stacked arrays of air nozzles , each inclined or vertical stacked array of air nozzles being in connection with one of the two or more inclined or vertical air distribution chambers (121 or 122); the two or more gas distribution chambers (131 or 132) are inclined or vertical and the gas nozzles are arranged in two or more inclined or vertical stacked arrays of gas nozzles , each inclined or vertical stacked array of gas nozzles being in connection with one of the two or more inclined or vertical gas distribution chambers (131 or 132); the inclined or vertical air distribution chambers and the inclined or vertical gas distribution chambers are distributed along the circumference of the burner shell, such that the burner shell comprises continuous inclined or vertical bottom to top wall sections in-between adjacent inclined or vertical distribution chambers ; and a manifold type air feeding pipes and gas feeding pipes integrated within or arranged outside the burner shell and fluidly connecting the air and gas distribution chambers to air and gas supply, respectively. a burner surrounded by a burner shell , wherein said burner has a circular cross-section; a number of air nozzles arranged for tangentially feeding air to the burner , the air nozzles being connected to two or more air distribution chambers ; a number of gas nozzles arranged for tangentially feeding gas to the burner , the gas nozzles being connected to two or more gas distribution chambers ; wherein the two or more air distribution chambers (121 or 122) are inclined or vertical and the air nozzles are arranged in two or more inclined or vertical stacked arrays of air nozzles , each inclined or vertical stacked array of air nozzles being in connection with one of the two or more inclined or vertical air distribution chambers (121 or 122); the two or more gas distribution chambers (131 or 132) are inclined or vertical and the gas nozzles are arranged in two or more inclined or vertical stacked arrays of gas nozzles , each inclined or vertical stacked array of gas nozzles being in connection with one of the two or more inclined or vertical gas distribution chambers (131 or 132); the inclined or vertical air distribution chambers and the inclined or vertical gas distribution chambers are distributed along the circumference of the burner shell, such that the burner shell comprises continuous inclined or vertical bottom to top wall sections in-between adjacent inclined or vertical distribution chambers ; and a manifold type air feeding pipes and gas feeding pipes integrated within or arranged outside the burner shell and fluidly connecting the air and gas distribution chambers to air and gas supply, respectively. <EOS>