The very first images showing the inside of Capital & Centric’s spectacular £35m ‘Jenga‘ Leonardo Hotel have officially been released.
The 275-bed hotel – built on the corner of Adair Street and Great Ancoats in Manchester – sits at the heart of the new Capital & Centric Piccadilly East neighbourhood; which featured heavily in the recent BBC Two documentary Manctopia: Billion Pound Property Boom.
New pictures show the hotel’s ground floor restaurant, café bar and external terrace area – which connects to a new public square.
A gym and adjoining wellness studio will also be on site – with built-in tablets featuring pre-loaded meditations.
Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital & Centric, said: “The hotel is going to be surrounded by greenery, with planters adorning the sides of the building and spilling out onto a new public square with tons of plants and trees.
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“This theme runs throughout the interiors with a feeling of nature creating a chilled out space. The building’s got such an iconic design inside and out that will really set the tone for the emerging Piccadilly East neighbourhood and draw people into the area”.
The interiors of the hotel are being designed by Manchester-based design and branding studio NoChintz – drawing on the idea of contrast whilst taking cues from the architectural Jenga design from Stephenson Studio.
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The theory of Divine Proportion will bring symmetry to the hotel – helping guests feel positively connected to the space, whilst touchpoints have been designed to stimulate the senses..
Lucy Goddard, Creative Director at NoChintz, said: “It was an obvious choice for us to continue the narrative of the exterior, conceptualising a holistic design story which celebrates differences and finds balance through contrasts.
“Themes of positive and negative, relief and recess, solid and void reference textile punch cards, artists Josef and Anni Albers, and Jenga.
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“The interior scheme weaves a wellness centric approach through every detail. Contrasting tones and textures with raw base layers and soft, organic overlays.”
She added: “Our goal is to create a memorable customer journey with strong touchpoints and sensory considerations at every step. For us, wellness is adding value through design and experience. It is designing with purpose.”
The 14-storey award-winning building is due to open in Manchester in 2022 and will be operated by Leonardo Hotels.
The Jenga building is the latest exciting development to come from Capital & Centric, who are also behind the Phoenix Building, Crusader Mill, Kampus and Weir Mill.
You can learn more about all the developments being led by Capital & Centric on their website.
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Molly-Mae Hague and adidas drop new collection inspired by matcha and iced lattes
Daisy Jackson
Today, adidas has finally released its hotly-anticipated parnership with Manchester-based influencer Molly-Mae Hague.
The social media superstar has collaborated with the sportswear giant for a limited-edition footwear collection inspired by matchas and iced lattes.
Molly-Mae and adidas Originals have just given fans a look at the shoes for the first time.
The star has curated a limited-edition collection of iconic Originals silhouettes – a Samba and a Superstar.
The first is the Samba Matcha shoes, a premium leather and suede shoe in a soft green colour, with double pink and white laces.
The other is a Superstar II Latte, which again features double laces in coffee-coloured hues, but in the iconic leather Superstar silhouette.
In behind-the-scenes footage of the design process on Molly-Mae’s Amazon Prime documentary series, Behind It All, she described them as ‘matcha cool girl in London’ shoes – and the vision has definitely come to life.
Molly-Mae said: “Seeing my creative vision come to life on two iconic adidas Originals silhouettes that have long been staples in my wardrobe is a true dream.
“Being so closely involved in the design process and creating products that feel fun, timeless, and an authentic extension of my own personal style has been the best experience.
“I am so excited to see how others style them in their own way.”
Steve Marks, VP Brand adidas UK commented: “At adidas, we partner with individuals who define style through authenticity and a deep-rooted connection to our brand.
“Molly-Mae’s relationship with adidas Originals has developed organically over time as a key advocate of the brand and this partnership represents a natural evolution – bringing her signature aesthetic to two of our most iconic silhouettes.”
The limited-edition adidas Originals x Molly-Mae collection drops in stores and online on 9 April, priced at £100 per pair.
Greater Manchester’s homicide rates have now dropped to a ‘historic’ low
Emily Sergeant
Homicide rates in Greater Manchester are now at the lowest they’ve been for 25 years, according to new figures.
Thanks to a major programme introduced by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to prevent violent crime and keep communities safe, known as the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), it has been revealed that the region’s homicide rate has fallen by 32% in 2025 to what is its lowest level on record since 1990.
If you’re unfamiliar with what the VRU is, it brings together GMP, Greater Manchester Probation Service, health and education professionals, youth justice, local authorities, and the voluntary, community and faith sector to address the underlying causes of violent crime.
It’s this multi-agency approach that’s said to be delivering ‘tangible results’ and driving a reduction in violent crime in Greater Manchester.
As well as homicide rates, the VRU’s partnership work with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is also said to be having ‘major impact’ across the region on issues like knife crime.
Thanks to operational activity helping to disrupt serious violence and remove more weapons from the region’s streets, the police have also recorded that knife crime in Greater Manchester has fallen by 15% in the last year too.
Following a steady decline since 2021, rates of personal robbery have fallen by 17% in the last year in Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester’s homicide rates have now dropped to a ‘historic’ low / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Additionally, A&E attendances due to assault decreased by 3% in the same time period, with a 9% reduction among young people aged 10–24, and ambulance callouts for assault also fell by 9% in relation to this.
GMCA says that the reductions in demand for emergency services, as revealed in the latest figures, prove just how much the VRU’s combined prevention and enforcement approach is working.
“These latest figures show the real progress being made in tackling violent crime and making our streets safer,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
“Reductions in knife crime and homicides don’t happen by chance – they come from early intervention, our strong partnership with the police and our work with communities to tackle the root causes of violence.”
The Manc -
5th November 2020 
