It opened very discreetly in the last days of 2023, in soft-opening mode, in the former Town Hall building of the Cascais City Council - right in the center of the village and a few steps from the bay. The emblematic clock on the facade, below the bells, christened the new project: O Relógio - Slow Retail.
With several Portuguese brands, it's like Embaixada from Príncipe Real in Cascais, considering one of the people involved in this project is Catarina Lopes, who was also part of the revitalization project of one of the most central neighborhoods in Lisbon. Many locals in Cascais didn't even notice the opening, as it only gained awnings and other indicative elements in the past few weeks.
At O Relógio - Slow Retail, you can find Nicollò's São Tomé hot chocolates and coffees, Origem's bamboo sunglasses, A Industria's men's clothing, HLC's jewelry and Papua's women's clothing, perfect for those already thinking about summer. Some of these brands were already associated with Embaixada. The concept, which aims to highlight national design, occupies the ground floor of the building, which spans about 300 square meters.
Tic, tac, tic, tac
The story of this project began even before the pandemic, when the municipality started preparations to lease several town buildings that had been left vacant. They directly contacted the company that manages the Embaixada, where Catarina Lopes worked, suggesting that they participate in the public tender. "They must have spoken to a lot more people than me", says Catarina Lopes. "But the tender only took place during the pandemic and no one else applied; everyone was depressed and uncertain. I ended up getting the six buildings. The Embaixada's company ultimately decided not to proceed, but I was already very involved in the project and felt that my mission in Príncipe Real was accomplished".
She said goodbye, dropping everything to dedicate herself to the new goal. She believed the town deserved a project like this. "Cascais has a lot of people. It's a bit empty at night, but during the day it's quite busy. But I think it doesn't have the offer that makes sense at the moment. It's outdated. It's not very diverse, very focused on souvenir shops where things aren't even made in Portugal... The center of Cascais needs diversification" she says. It was in this direction that she invited these brands to have their spaces within O Relógio.
The other buildings she acquired also have destinations: one became Café Joyeux, another the Brave Generation Academy (an educational project by businessman Tim Vieira). Soon, a Honest Greens restaurant will be inaugurated and another will house an artistic workshop center called Manufatura. Works will start in the summer and it will be a "working space" open to the public, where artists whose work does not cause too many constraints can receive clients, sell their pieces and work on their artworks.
Praça 5 de Outubro, 75, Cascais. 11.00-14.30; 15.00-19.30