Original Ptolomeo is the free-standing bookcase that needs no introduction: essential, revolutionary, innovative; as sudden as an intuition, as surprising as its success.Original Ptolomeo is a container that conceals its own form to privilege its content, eliminating the “superfluous” to highlight what is essential: books. The bookcase takes the shape of a steel column to which thin steel shelves are attached. These shelves gradually disappear as the column fills with books: when fully loaded, Original Ptolomeo becomes almost imperceptible, as if the books were standing on their own.Designed by Bruno Rainaldi and awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 2004, Original Ptolomeo stems from observation rather than a formal design process, translating a simple yet ingenious idea into a furnishing element: transforming a stack of books into a design object. A bookcase as essential as it is bold, it has become a contemporary icon, a harmonious work of art and, like any work of art, it is signed on its base with the designer’s signature as a mark of authenticity.Available in three different heights, Original Ptolomeo rests on a solid base – in stainless steel or lacquered metal coordinated with the structure – specifically designed to ensure maximum stability. Today, the base is also available in a new light oak finish, introducing a warmer, more material dimension and expanding the bookcase’s ability to adapt to a wider range of contexts and design languages.Slim, slender and minimal, it occupies very little space and can be placed in a variety of settings, from the most traditional to the most contemporary, also thanks to its range of finishes (matt black, glossy white, stainless steel or matt corten effect), designed to suit any environment.Over time, the project has given rise to an articulated family, capable of evolving while preserving the strength of the original idea. In this direction, the magnetic LED kit – new for 2026 – further extends the system by bringing light to all elements of the collection: Wall, Art and Vino. An aluminium profile with integrated LED strip that attaches to the column with a simple and immediate gesture, requiring no structural modifications, adding a new function and opening up further possibilities of use.Original Ptolomeo: a tribute to books and to the person history remembers as the first to take care of them – Ptolemy I Soter, to whom we owe, in the 3rd century BC, the founding of the Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt.Techinical dataFreestanding vertical steel bookcase. Base engraved with the designer’s signature. Three sizes. Adjustable feet.Structure and shelves finishes: matt – lacquered black, corten effect. Glossy – lacquered white RAL 9003, stainless steel (inner side of shelves in satin finish).Base finishes: matt – lacquered black, corten effect. Glossy – lacquered white RAL 9003, stainless steel. NEW 2026: light oak.Dimensions: shelves 19×12 cm. Base 26×26 cm, height 75 cm. Base 35×35 cm, height 160 or 215 cm.Accessories: Ptolomeo Shelf (black or white lacquered steel shelf, positionable freely among the columns). Extension, special support for magazines or large-format books in black or white lacquered steel. CD holder magnet.NEW 2026: independent LED strip kit, to be applied to the column. A lighting system for the Ptolomeo family: Original, Wall, Art, Vino.Notes: capacity approx. 35/70/95 volumes depending on size. Maximum load per shelf 2 kg.