ADVANCE REALTY UNVEILS LARGE-SCALE MURAL BY ARTIST RICARDO ROIG AT WILLOW HOUSE IN HOBOKEN
Public Artwork Welcomes Residents and Visitors to Hoboken's Emerging North End
HOBOKEN, N.J. — Advance Realty Investors has unveiled a large-scale mural by acclaimed Hoboken artist Ricardo Roig on the south façade of Willow House, the development firm's newly launched boutique rental building located at the prominent intersection of 14th Street and Willow Avenue.
The approximately 28-foot-by-18-foot mural transforms an exterior wall at Willow House into a vibrant work of public art celebrating Hoboken's hospitality culture and sense of community. Positioned along one of the primary gateways into Hoboken's evolving North End, the artwork depicts a lively, Great Gatsby-inspired cocktail-party scene featuring musicians, diners and guests gathered beneath string lights, with views of the Manhattan skyline and Hudson River woven throughout the composition. Rendered in Roig's signature layered style and vibrant palette, the mural blends music, art, dining and conversation into a vivid portrait of Hoboken.
"The mural is really a celebration of the spirit of Hoboken," said Roig. "It's inspired by years of living, working and making art here — the restaurants, the music, the people and the moments that make this city special. I wanted to create something welcoming, something that captures that feeling of arrival, possibility and imagination."
For Roig, the commission is deeply personal. The artist first connected with Advance Realty more than a decade ago through The Harlow, the company's luxury rental building directly across the street from Willow House. He continues to operate the first Roig Collection gallery, which he opened in Hoboken in 2015, while his work is also featured at the W Hoboken Hotel.
"This project feels full circle," Roig said. "Ten years ago, I was exhibiting artwork at The Harlow. Now I'm creating a mural across the street as this neighborhood enters a new chapter. It's exciting to contribute something lasting to a place that has played such an important role in my journey as an artist."
The mural traces its roots to Waterfront Party, an original collage Roig created as part of his Mile Square Series, a body of work shaped by his experiences after moving to Hoboken at age 22. While working as a waiter at the Elysian Café, Roig immersed himself in the city's restaurant scene, live music venues and distinct neighborhood character. Those experiences informed a series of artworks exploring Hoboken's culture, character and sense of place. For Willow House, Roig reimagined Waterfront Party as a site-specific artwork, translating years of memories, music, dining and social experiences into a single visual narrative.
"Ricardo's work embodies the creativity, authenticity and sense of place that we believe are important ingredients in great communities," said Dan Cocoziello, Principal and COO of Advance Realty Investors. "With residents now calling Willow House home, this mural serves as a memorable visual landmark while reinforcing our commitment to thoughtful placemaking throughout Hoboken's North End. We share a vision with City leaders and community stakeholders for creating engaging public spaces, and cultural expression is an important part of that effort."
Known for his distinctive hand-cut technique, Roig approaches murals differently from traditional muralists. For Willow House, he photographed the finished mixed-media artwork and digitally divided it into 60 individual 36-by-36-inch grid sections. The printed grids were then adhered directly to the façade, where Roig hand-cut portions of each image with an X-Acto knife and spray-painted the exposed areas beneath. As the work progressed, the printed templates were gradually removed, leaving behind a large-scale painted interpretation of the original artwork. The process transformed an intimate composition into a mural at architectural scale while allowing it to evolve organically as it took shape.
"Art is alive," said Roig. "The original piece provides the foundation, but the mural develops as I work. It's similar to hearing live music. A performance might speed up, slow down or take on a different feeling from one night to the next. The original artwork guides the process, but the finished piece becomes something uniquely its own.”
Located at 1404 Willow Avenue, Willow House is an eight-story boutique rental building featuring 52 studio-to-three-bedroom residences and approximately 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail that will be occupied by Starbucks and CorePower Yoga. Leasing and occupancy are underway. The building is part of Advance Realty's broader vision for Hoboken's North End, which will ultimately bring approximately 1,500 new residences, along with retail, dining, open space and community amenities to the neighborhood.
For additional information on Willow House, please visit www.willowhouseresidences.com or call 866-486-6198.
For more information on Ricardo Roig, visit www.roigcollection.com.
Photo Credit: John Carlos Borja Productions
What's Related