For more than two decades, Bruno Rainaldi has been influencing the design scene in Milan. Whether designing furniture, bringing iconic works back into production or teaching students at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, where he is a professor. When he designed his Sapien Bookcase (2003), he created a unique solution for those with a lot of books and little space to store them. By holding texts horizontally in a vertical stack, the tall Sapien can accommodate up to 70 small and large books in a very compact footprint. (The shorter bookcase will hold up to 50 books.) The removable shelves are a mere 2mm thick but each one can hold approximately five books, or an impressive 5.5 lbs. The tall Sapien has 14 shelves, the short has 10. When fully loaded, the bookcase virtu¬ally disappears behind the books. All-metal construction and a heavy, weighted base ensure the design’s strength and stability. Made in Italy.