The Original Ptolomeo bookshelf is a truly inventive design. Both playful and practical, it is described as a mix between “magic, art and function” and has been awarded the world’s highest accolade for design – the Compasso d’Oro. Here, Design Daily’s David Harrison explores the story of the Ptolomeo and its maverick designer Bruno Rainaldi, while More Space catches up with its Florence-based brand Opinion Ciatti to discuss the making of a design icon.
Seizing on the beauty of a random stack of books and applying the principle to a designed object, Bruno Rainaldi’s vertical Ptolomeo bookshelf manages to translate the appeal of natural disorder and turn it into a useful work of art. It would be the launch of the Original Ptolomeo in 2002 that would go on to shape Rainaldi’s career and the collection of Florentine brand Opinion Ciatti.
In a tribute to books the name Ptolomeo pays homage to Ptolemy I Soter, the Macedonian historian and advisor to Alexander the Great who became ruler of Egypt and notably commissioned the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt, establishing the region as the world’s intellectual capital. It’s a fitting reference as Rainaldi’s design elevates the humble book into an object worthy of attention.
“Chaotically rigorous” is how the designer described his work which began in art direction and design communication before focusing on the design of objects. A meeting with Lapo Ciatti in 2006 would see Rainaldi join Opinion Ciatti, steering the brand as President, partner and art director until his death in 2011.
The ingenuity of the Ptolomeo lies in its deception. When stacked its striking totem-like shape and slim metal form is concealed, engulfed by books and magazines, or elevated by art and objects. It's also an exciting move away from the conventional horizontal format that allows the design to be moved around a space freely and frequently.
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The Origiinal Ptolomeo designed in 2002 by Bruno Rainaldi for Opinion Ciatti. Photo c/o Opinion Ciatti.
“Look at the piles, gaze fascinated at those so high that they seem to mock the law of gravity. Translate this fantastic image into a real object. Ptolomeo act one. Dedicated to he who, first, collected with intelligent passion everything that had ever been written, with no censure, no fear.”
Bruno Rainaldi
Steel dividers provide support for stacked piles of books at regular intervals while still appearing randomly haphazard. In this way Rainaldi successfully shifts the focus of a room to the dynamic colour combinations found in the graphic cover of a book, or a carefully placed piece of art, and delivers the visceral joy found between chaos and control.
The Ptolomeo family includes the Original Ptolomeo in three sizes, the Ptolomeo Art range for larger format magazines and books, the Ptolomeo x2 and Ptolomeo x4 with two and four rows of shelves, and the Ptolomeo x4 short, the Ptolomeo TV, the Ptolomeo Luce with an inbuilt lighting system, and the Ptolomeo Wall for book addicts who dream of living in a library.
The simple brilliance of Rainaldi’s Original Ptolomeo was internationally recognised in 2004 with a coveted Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) Award from the Association of Industrial Design, and it has since established its place as an icon of industrial design.
The late designer Bruno Rainaldi with Lapo Ciatti, founder of Opinion Ciattoi Portrait c/o Opinion Ciatti.
Detail of the Ptolomeo's flexibility. Photo © Sam Wong.
The Ptolomeo family includes smaller pieces for the bedside, the TV, with lighting and wall hung. Photo c/o Opinion Ciatti.
The Original Ptolomeo son the coveted Coompasso d/Oro in 2004 and remains one of Opinion Ciatti's most popular designs. Photos © Sam Wong.
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Easy to move around, the Original Ptolomeo has a tiny footprint of 250mm square for the short, and 350mm square for the taller systems. Photos c/o Opinion Ciatti.
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The Ptolomeo Luce with its inbuilt light softly illuminates a space. Photos c/o Opinion Ciatti.
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"Ptolomeo is a mix of magic, art and function. It is the perfect example of what a design object must be: a piece of everyday life with great usability but which is also able to surprise and excite with each use."
Opinion Ciatti
Q&A with Opinion Ciatti:
Can you please share the backstory of Rainaldi’s idea?
Simple and ingenious, Ptolomeo could only be born from an intuition, a vision. At the time Bruno Rainaldi worked in a small studio, there was not much space… suddenly looking at a pile of books Ptolomeo was born! The initial sketch was a matter of a moment, a few traits immediately shared with the team who was immediately captivated by that extraordinary idea, so simple yet so innovative.
The ingenious part of the Ptolomeo is in its simplicity.
The idea of the product is very simple but the technical development was not as immediate. We have worked diligently to not distort the original idea. "The structure has to disappear!" These were the words that Bruno Rainaldi repeated like a mantra.
Is it true that the name celebrates the man who reputedly built the world's first library?
Yes, in the third century BC Pharaoh Ptolomeo I Soter gave the order to build the Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the largest and richest library in the ancient world. Bruno loved books, he believed that books were real nourishment for the soul, the best companions on this journey called life. This is why he wanted his bookcase, the only one that made books the absolute protagonists, to be a tribute to the one who was the first to take care of books (as far as history can remember).
Receiving the highly coveted Compasso d’Oro Award, what do you think it is about the Ptolomeo that connects with people?
Ptolomeo is a mix of magic, art and function. It is the perfect example of what a design object must be: a piece of everyday life with great usability but which is also able to surprise and excite with each use.
Functional but also fun, is it still your most popular product?
It is certainly among our best-selling products. It is one of our icons: products that beautifully embody all corporate values. Unique and creative objects, daring, practical, and always up to the minute.
Where can we see the Original Ptolomeo around the world?
By its very nature Ptolomeo is more suited to places of culture rather than commercial spaces. The house is the main destination but we have also developed projects with bookstores, hotels and libraries. Of particular note was the insertion of 52 pieces inside the Cairo Library which was as if we had brought Ptolomeo back home.
The Ptolomeo collection by Opinion Ciatti is available exclusively in South East Asia from Space – Australia – and Space – Singapore.
