Plastic Box Store Turns Brutalism Into a Sculptural Supermarket Experience - Brutalist Supermarket Design

Minimal Studio has unveiled Plastic Box, a fully functioning supermarket in Mallorca that doubles as an immersive architectural installation. Defined by exposed concrete, industrial materials and a ceiling made from 1,200 recycled crates, the project reframes everyday shopping through the lens of brutalist supermarket design.

Located in Port of Pollensa, Plastic Box was conceived as a “raw concrete envelope.” Minimal Studio stripped the existing structure back to its bones, removing all finishes to reveal the building’s pure materiality. Founder Juan David Martínez Jofre explains that the space rejects typical retail language in favour of an exhibition-like route guided by light, rhythm and reflection.

Inside the 193-square-metre store, Minimal Studio created monolithic concrete tables and shelving, leaving walls and ceilings fully exposed. “Concrete embodies control and truth,” Jofre says. “It anchors the space emotionally and visually, counterbalancing the volatility of plastic and the ephemerality of packaging.”

The interior also features stainless steel, translucent polycarbonate and recycled plastic panels—materials chosen for their ability to distort light and soften spatial boundaries. The result is a hybrid atmosphere that feels simultaneously industrial, reflective and ethereal.

Suspended above shoppers is Plastic Box’s signature element: a sculptural ceiling made from 1,200 recycled plastic crates sourced from local distribution networks. These crates don’t merely decorate the space—they house LED lighting, ventilation systems and even rainwater-collection devices. Once illuminated, they form a floating grid that creates shadows and reflections like a kinetic installation.

The supermarket maintains a muted palette of greys, beiges and pale sage greens, allowing the colourful packaging of goods to become part of the visual composition. Jofre describes the concept as “a brutalist art gallery disguised as a supermarket—the packaging becomes the frame, the product becomes the artwork, and light becomes the curator.”

Shoppers have reportedly embraced the unexpected calm of the environment, which stands in stark contrast to typical retail interiors. Plastic Box joins a growing wave of experimental food-retail spaces, including pastel-hued Scandinavian stores and sculptural Dutch supermarket designs.

Through its bold use of materiality and light, Plastic Box adds an architectural perspective to everyday consumption—advancing the ongoing conversation about brutalist supermarket design in contemporary retail.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a designer dedicated to translating ideas into visual rhythm. His work spans motion, 3D, and graphic design — connecting creativity, technology, and human emotion.