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.
Project Name: Yeyeland Mineral & Dessert Concept Store
Studio Name: STUDIO 4301
Project Location: Shanghai
Gross Builing Area: 240 sqm
Photography: Yuuuun Studio
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.
