A remarkable spin-off of high-profile Chinese cosmetics retailer HARMAY, hand-made lemon tea brand introlemons is making equally impressive strides, adding a string of new retail spaces nationwide, and one of them is in Shanghai‘s downtown Huashan Lu neighbourhood. Occupying 180 sqm. (1,938 sq.ft.) unit spread across two levels, the space was once the cosmetics retailer’s very first offline boutique, and now, for introlemons, it sees a brand new and understated interior design by local practice AIM Architecture. The compartmentalised metal façade features a retractable door and window which align with an elongated service station covered in wooden slats. Interestingly, the backdrop inside, ceiling included, is exactly similar to the façade, creating an austerity that’s probably unexpected for a consumer brand like introlemons. At the far end of the café, a timber staircase is blend into the metal fold, and quite literally so, offering an interesting visual interplay when going upstairs to relax on tiered seating at an intimate cinema.