The Gresham, a stand-out, unique, and stylish aparthotel on Market Street opened its doors in November 2021 and has since become one of the best performing hotels in Leicester.
The unbeatable location, coupled with a friendly boutique style means it is the perfect place for business people, visitors, and families to stay, explore, rest and enjoy Leicester as a base from.
To help mark its first-year celebration, people from across Leicester and Leicestershire were invited to create artwork themed on ‘things to love about Leicester.’ The chosen pieces of artwork are now ‘pride of place’ on the central staircase which is not only iconic but is also an original feature from the former Fenwick days.
Christina Wigmore is one of the artists whose design is on display. The artwork is inspired by the history of Leicester’s successful shoe manufacturing industry and reflects the story behind the Liberty Shoe factory and Leicester’s own Statue of Liberty.
Christina explains:
“Some people will have seen Leicester’s Statue of Liberty on Bede Island. The reason Leicester has this replica is down to the Lennard Brothers who took a sea trip to New York after World War One to investigate modern shoe manufacturing methods for their Leicester-based boot and shoe company.
“Inspired by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as they arrived in New York harbour, they commissioned a replica to be constructed and placed on top of their new factory on Eastern Boulevard, Leicester, and changed the name of their company from Lennards’ Shoes to Liberty Shoes in 1921. The statue was saved and relocated in 2002.
“My design process involves reusing materials and finding alternative ways to print, weave and construct textiles. For this design I layered imagery of shipping lines and continents, the iconic Statue of Liberty headpiece and a reimagined 2020s Liberty shoe.
“I am delighted that The Gresham will be home to the artwork showing how proud the city is of its roots.”
Snizhana Yesaulenko, CEO at The Gresham Aparthotel, said:
“This piece of artwork is not only eye-catching, it is also the perfect symbol of Leicester’s pride and history. We love the history of the Gresham building and the city so the backstory to this piece of art really resonated with us.
“A lot of thought and effort had gone into this story and the artwork. Thank you to Christina for letting us display her artwork which deserves to stand-out.”
Since opening, The Gresham Aparthotel has become ‘the place to stay’ when travelling to Leicester. The boutique aparthotel boasts freedom and flexibility. Guests can choose how they use their space and manage their time.
The Aparthotel has also been shortlisted for several awards including as The Place to Stay at the Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards and won Best New Business at the Niche Business awards 2022.
