{"id":10499,"date":"2025-11-28T05:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T06:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/?p=10499"},"modified":"2025-11-28T12:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T12:24:57","slug":"plastic-box-store-is-a-brutalist-art-gallery-disguised-as-a-supermarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/28\/plastic-box-store-is-a-brutalist-art-gallery-disguised-as-a-supermarket\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic Box store is &#8220;a brutalist art gallery disguised as a supermarket&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"852\" height=\"852\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-homepage_article_featured size-homepage_article_featured lazyload\" alt=\"Interior of concrete supermarket\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_sq2-852x852-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>Architecture practice Minimal Studio has unveiled Plastic Box, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/supermarkets\/\">supermarket<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/mallorca\/\">Mallorca<\/a> with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/minimalist-interiors\/\">minimalist<\/a> exposed-concrete interior and a ceiling of 1,200 plastic crates.<span id=\"more-2273112\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The fully functioning <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoresupermarkets.com\/en\/voramar-supermarket\/\">store<\/a>, located in Mallorca&#8217;s Port of Pollensa, was conceived by the studio as a &#8220;raw concrete envelope&#8221;.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273901\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273901\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273901 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Concrete supermarket interior\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1576\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_2.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273901\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Mallorca supermarket has an exposed-concrete interior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;We reduced the structure to its essence, removing all previous finishes and exposing its raw bones,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.minimalstudio.es\/\">Minimal Studio<\/a> founder\u00a0Juan David Mart\u00ednez Jofre told Dezeen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The space was redefined through light, reflection, and rhythm, replacing traditional aisles with visual sequences that guide the visitor like an exhibition route,&#8221; Jofre continued. &#8220;The transformation stripped away every trace of commercial language \u2013 leaving only architecture, material, and light to tell the story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273906\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273906\" style=\"width: 1891px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273906 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Concrete table in front of fridges\" width=\"1891\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_7-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273906\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Minimal Studio added monolithic concrete tables<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Minimal Studio also used concrete inside the 193-square-metre store, leaving walls and ceilings exposed and creating concrete tables and shelving.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Concrete embodies control and truth,&#8221; Jofre said. &#8220;It anchors the space emotionally and visually, counterbalancing the volatility of plastic and the ephemerality of packaging.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273903\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273903\" style=\"width: 1891px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273903 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Plastic crates \" width=\"1891\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_4-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273903\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Recycled plastic crates are both practical and decorative<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The studio complemented the exposed concrete with a range of other industrial materials.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Alongside exposed concrete, we used stainless steel, translucent polycarbonate, and recycled plastic panels,&#8221; Jofre said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related-in-article-wrapper\" id=\"recommended-item-single-story\">\n<article class=\"related-in-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2024\/02\/26\/ica-stop-supermarket-taby-snask-westblom-krasse-arkitektkontor\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- Can this image be in the exclude lightbox list? --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"191\" height=\"191\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"excludeLightbox wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"Pink curved counter inside Swedish supermarket ICA Stop\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ica-stop-snask-westblom-krasse-sweden_dezeen_2364_col_sq2-191x191-1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-in-article-text\">\n<h1>Read:<\/h1>\n<h2>ICA Stop supermarket designed as a &#8220;culinary dream come true&#8221;<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;Each material was chosen for its ability to distort light and dissolve physical boundaries,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Together, they construct an immersive atmosphere \u2013 reflective, industrial, and ethereal at once. The result is a hybrid environment: heavy in structure, yet light in perception.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273904\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273904\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273904 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Close-up of plastic crates\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1576\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_5.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273904\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The plastic crates hide lighting and ventilation systems<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Minimal Studio used 1,200 recycled plastic crates to create a sculptural ceiling installation inside the Plastic Box. As well as forming an intriguing interior detail, the crates are practical \u2013 they house LED lighting, ventilation systems and rainwater collection devices.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We sourced the crates from local food distribution networks \u2013 giving new life to discarded industrial elements,&#8221; Jofre explained.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Once suspended and illuminated, they create a floating grid of reflections and shadow, a luminous membrane that filters light like a living sculpture.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273900\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273900\" style=\"width: 1891px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273900 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Fridge in supermarket\" width=\"1891\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_1-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The store has a neutral colour palette<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The colours in the space are neutral and muted, with a palette of grey, beige and pale sage green hues forming a discrete background to the colourful packaging of the supermarket goods.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Plastic Box was conceived as a brutalist art gallery disguised as a supermarket \u2013 a space where consumption, reflection, and material excess converge,&#8221; Jofre said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The concept transforms a functional program into an installation: the packaging becomes the frame, the product becomes the artwork, and light becomes the curator.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2273909\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2273909\" style=\"width: 1891px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2273909 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Concrete table and fridges\" width=\"1891\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"https:\/\/rutha.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minimal-studio-plastic-box-mallorca_dezeen_2364_col_10-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2273909\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plastic Box is a fully functional supermarket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Plastic Box has elicited a positive reaction from shoppers, Jofre said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The space triggers curiosity, introspection, and calm, far removed from the typical retail environment,&#8221; he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Other creatively designed supermarkets on Dezeen include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2024\/02\/26\/ica-stop-supermarket-taby-snask-westblom-krasse-arkitektkontor\/\">a pastel-hued Stockholm store<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2022\/03\/31\/vlaardingen-supermarket-alber-heijn-xvw-architectuur\/\">Dutch postwar supermarket with two towers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The photography is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leonardocondor.com\/\">Leonardo C\u00f3ndor<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2025\/11\/28\/plastic-box-minimal-studio\/\">Plastic Box store is &#8220;a brutalist art gallery disguised as a supermarket&#8221;<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\">Dezeen<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Architecture practice Minimal Studio has unveiled Plastic Box, a supermarket in Mallorca with a minimalist exposed-concrete interior and a ceiling of 1,200 plastic crates. The &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","latest_post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10499"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10531,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10499\/revisions\/10531"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}