Nohemi Olvera for Urbanspace Union Square

WXLLSPACE delivered a large-scale abstract mural for RAL Development's Zero Irving, a tech-focused mixed-use building featuring the Urbanspace food hall at Union Square in New York. Artist Nohemi Olvera created a vibrant abstract composition featuring mushroom and food-inspired shapes with sophisticated color blocking and layered forms. The project moved rapidly from artist selection on August 17, 2022 through design revision and installation beginning August 30, 2022, completing ahead of the building's grand opening. Despite simultaneous construction activity and complex site logistics, WXLLSPACE delivered a signature visual asset that transformed an institutional lobby into a cultural destination and became a top-performing marketing and SEO asset for the property.

RAL Development sought to differentiate Zero Irving in a competitive Manhattan mixed-use market through public art that would establish the building's lobby as an intentional, community-focused destination. The challenge centered on creating a distinctive visual anchor that would resonate with both office tenants and food hall visitors while navigating the constraints of an active construction environment.

The core complications:

• The lobby and food hall represented the "first impression" for a $200M development, requiring world-class artistic execution
• The mural needed to align with the Urbanspace food hall brand identity without constraining the artist's creative vision
• Simultaneous vendor booth construction in the food hall created logistical challenges for equipment staging and dust/debris management
• Height access required specialized lift equipment that was not immediately available on-site
• Design revisions - including background color swaps and architectural return integration - needed rapid turnaround to maintain the August 30 installation start
• The compressed timeline allowed minimal contingency for design feedback loops or weather delays

Active Construction Environment

The mural installation occurred while vendor booth construction was actively happening in the food hall. This created challenges for equipment coordination, material staging, and environmental protection. Dust and construction debris had to be managed to prevent damage to the completed artwork. Access coordination with other trades required careful scheduling to minimize disruption.

Equipment and Site Access

The wall height required specialized lift equipment. A boom lift was not initially available on-site, necessitating off-site sourcing and coordination. WXLLSPACE sourced a lift solution for under $1,000, but this required 2-3 days of rental coordination to align with the installation schedule.

Design Direction and Aesthetic Alignment

The initial mockup featured a white background, which the client indicated was "in a way, dulling out the beauty of the colors and forms in the piece." This feedback required rapid design revision to shift the background to neutral tones (linen, beige, clay). The client also requested textural depth—"impasto, texture, dimension, or other layering"—requiring the artist to adjust her approach while maintaining creative integrity.

Architectural Complexity

The mural needed to integrate seamlessly across the primary wall and a small vertical return wall. Initial design concepts created visual separation, making the artwork appear as "separate pieces" rather than a cohesive installation. The final design was adjusted to create continuity across the return, requiring additional coordination and design refinement.

Compressed Timeline

The project moved from artist selection on August 17 through installation start on August 30—a 13-day window for design development, mockup revision, client approval, and logistics coordination. This timeline allowed minimal flexibility for revisions or contingency planning.

Brand Alignment Within Creative Freedom

The client's stated philosophy was "we are selecting an artist for their art, not mine," indicating a commitment to artistic vision. However, the mural still needed to support the Urbanspace food hall brand narrative. Balancing creative freedom with brand requirements required careful collaboration and mutual respect between the artist and developer.

August 17, 2022: Artist Selection

WXLLSPACE identified and engaged Nohemi Olvera for the Zero Irving mural based on her portfolio, style alignment with the project brief, and experience with large-scale abstract installations. The artist was selected to create a signature visual asset for the building's lobby and food hall.

August 22, 2022: Art Direction Call

WXLLSPACE facilitated an art direction call with Ryan Stockton (Design Director, Urbanspace) and Nohemi Olvera to establish design parameters. The direction focused on abstract forms featuring "food shapes"—particularly mushrooms—with color blocking and layered pseudo-abstracted forms. The food-themed imagery was intended to reinforce the Urbanspace food hall identity while remaining abstract and sophisticated.

August 26, 2022: Mockup Presentation and Revision

Nohemi presented the initial design mockup. Client feedback indicated that the white background was diminishing the visual impact of the colorful abstract forms. Ryan Stockton also requested additional texture and dimension to create visual depth. WXLLSPACE coordinated these revisions with the artist for rapid turnaround.

August 26-29, 2022: Design Refinement and Logistics Planning

WXLLSPACE worked with Nohemi to revise the background to a "strong neutral color" and enhance textural layering. The design was also adjusted to create visual continuity across the small vertical return wall, preventing the artwork from appearing as separated sections. Simultaneously, WXLLSPACE confirmed lift access logistics, determining that a boom lift for 2-3 days would be required and sourced equipment rental for approximately $1,000.

August 29, 2022: Final Logistical Approval

Final site access, equipment staging, and height access details were confirmed. Nohemi received briefing on site conditions, environmental constraints, and the active construction environment. Material staging and weather contingency planning were finalized.

August 30, 2022: Installation Commencement

Nohemi Olvera began the mural installation. The boom lift was staged on-site, enabling full wall height access. Work proceeded while coordinating around active vendor booth construction in the food hall.

Pre-January 2023: Project Completion and Grand Opening

The mural was completed ahead of Zero Irving's grand opening. The installation became a centerpiece of the building's brand narrative, with Urbanspace featuring the artwork prominently in grand opening marketing and social media promotion.

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Installation Window: August 30 - September 2022 (approximately 3-4 weeks based on lift rental duration)

Artist: Nohemi Olvera

Wall Location: Lobby of Zero Irving and Urbanspace Food Hall, 14th Street / Union Square, New York, NY

Wall Specifications:

• Primary wall: Lobby facade
• Secondary surface: Small vertical return wall
• Existing condition: Institutional/dull appearance
• Surface material: Unknown

Mural Dimensions: Not specified (categorized as "large mural")

Design Elements: Abstract composition featuring mushroom and food-inspired shapes with sophisticated color blocking and layered pseudo-abstracted forms; background color: neutral tones (linen/beige/clay)

Access Equipment: Boom lift rental (2-3 days)

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Active Construction Environment

The mural installation occurred while vendor booth construction was actively happening in the food hall. This created challenges for equipment coordination, material staging, and environmental protection. Dust and construction debris had to be managed to prevent damage to the completed artwork. Access coordination with other trades required careful scheduling to minimize disruption.

Equipment and Site Access

The wall height required specialized lift equipment. A boom lift was not initially available on-site, necessitating off-site sourcing and coordination. WXLLSPACE sourced a lift solution for under $1,000, but this required 2-3 days of rental coordination to align with the installation schedule.

Design Direction and Aesthetic Alignment

The initial mockup featured a white background, which the client indicated was "in a way, dulling out the beauty of the colors and forms in the piece." This feedback required rapid design revision to shift the background to neutral tones (linen, beige, clay). The client also requested textural depth—"impasto, texture, dimension, or other layering"—requiring the artist to adjust her approach while maintaining creative integrity.

Architectural Complexity

The mural needed to integrate seamlessly across the primary wall and a small vertical return wall. Initial design concepts created visual separation, making the artwork appear as "separate pieces" rather than a cohesive installation. The final design was adjusted to create continuity across the return, requiring additional coordination and design refinement.

Compressed Timeline

The project moved from artist selection on August 17 through installation start on August 30—a 13-day window for design development, mockup revision, client approval, and logistics coordination. This timeline allowed minimal flexibility for revisions or contingency planning.

Brand Alignment Within Creative Freedom

The client's stated philosophy was "we are selecting an artist for their art, not mine," indicating a commitment to artistic vision. However, the mural still needed to support the Urbanspace food hall brand narrative. Balancing creative freedom with brand requirements required careful collaboration and mutual respect between the artist and developer.