Humans have collected and used minerals since the earliest civilisations. While some are prized as gemstones, many others remain quietly embedded in everyday life through glass, cement, ceramics, salt and graphite. Despite their ubiquity, their origins, structures and practical contributions are often overlooked.
Founded by a group of young mineral collectors, Yeyeland seeks to share its appreciation of minerals with a wider audience. Alongside geological specimens, the brand creates desserts inspired by crystalline forms, translating minerals into edible and multisensory experiences.
For Yeyeland’s store, STUDIO 4/301 brought together mineral exhibition, retail and dessert culture within a single interior. Rather than treating geology as a decorative theme, the studio translated ideas of exploration, excavation and mineral formation into the spatial organisation, material language and display systems of the shop.
Located on South Wulumuqi Road in Shanghai, the site sits within a vibrant neighbourhood with a distinctive urban character. Despite its irregular footprint, the shop connects directly to the street through three large openings. The design practice introduced a sculpted fibreglass intervention across the existing façade, creating a mineral-like presence within the streetscape. Illuminated by LED backlighting, the fibreglass surface produces the lustrous appearance of a polished mineral surface.
The organisation of the interior draws on geological fieldwork, where areas of excavation are often accompanied by temporary research shelters. Based on this reference, the shop is divided into two principal zones: a mineral retail and exhibition area near the entrance, followed by a dessert area beneath a suspended canopy.
Visitors first encounter the mineral collection, organised around a floor-to-ceiling installation positioned directly opposite the entrance. Developed by STUDIO 4/301 in collaboration with the contractor, the sculptural volume resembles an exposed rock formation and incorporates genuine mineral specimens supplied by Yeyeland. Visible from the street, the installation acts as both the visual anchor of the interior and the principal point of orientation within the retail area.
The floor extends the excavation concept. Selected mineral specimens are encapsulated in resin, appearing as fragments preserved beneath the walking surface. During material experiments, the design team discovered that certain minerals, such as halite, reacted with the resin and could not retain their original appearance. The final selection comprised fluorite, obsidian, quartz specimens, tiger’s eye and lazurite, chosen for their visual character and material stability.
Custom fibreglass panels wrap around the surrounding walls. Developed in collaboration with the lighting consultant and contractor, the panels have a warm, translucent finish that diffuses light throughout the retail area. Tiny air bubbles trapped within the material create subtle imperfections. When illuminated from behind, these imperfections create a granular, glittering effect that gives depth to the surrounding displays.
The same fibreglass material is used for a series of freestanding display fixtures. Each quarter-circle unit is supported by 8 mm-thick stainless-steel plates, and can be positioned independently or connected using hex-head screws. This allows the fixtures to be arranged flexibly around the central installation and be adapted to different exhibition layouts.
Because the displayed pieces vary widely in scale, the wall-mounted system accommodates different quantities, dimensions and viewing heights. An open semicircular zone provides additional space for temporary exhibitions and pop-up installations.
Beneath the suspended tent structure, green stucco defines the dessert area. A refrigerated display case fitted with rotating, triangular-prism-shaped metal shelves presents the mineral-inspired desserts from multiple angles. The wall surfaces combine rough and polished finishes, separated by 4 mm stainless-steel strips that add a refined edge to the handcrafted materiality. A series of wall lamps illuminate selected translucent fluorite stones, held by a stainless-steel tetragonal structure, referencing the geometric formations of crystals.
The side table continues the mineral-inspired language of the space. STUDIO 4/301 translated the crystalline form into sculptural the table support beneath the 20 mm-thick glass top. Scattered throughout the dessert area, the tables create a sense of organic growth, as though mineral fragments are gradually emerging from beneath the floor.
Through its combination of genuine specimens, experimental materials, adaptable displays and mineral-inspired food, Yeyeland presents collecting as a sensory and spatial experience. The project creates a setting in which minerals are encountered not only as objects of observation, but through light, texture, movement and taste.
