This New Waterloo Retail Precinct Is Home to Australia's Tallest Man-Made Waterfall

Waterloo has recently welcomed a whopping $400-million residential and retail precinct, and it boasts much more than just its 331 luxury (and pet-friendly) apartments. Think a rooftop with an outdoor cinema, terrace and infinity pool, a cat cafe, a dog-grooming salon, a French patisserie and Australia's largest man-made waterfall to boot.

Waterfall by Crown Group opened to residents earlier this year, with its 12-strong dining and retail precinct opening in stages throughout 2020. Those include Eclat Patisserie, Parasol tree Asian supermarket and DJ Hair Artistry salon (all now open), plus eateries like Moo Yoghurt, Just Fried Chicken and a currently-on-hold hot pot restaurant.

Joining the precinct in September is Yumiao Cat Cafe and Baby Pet Studio — the former lets you cuddle kittens while you enjoy a cuppa, and the latter offers professional grooming, spa treatments and nutritional consulting for your pup.

The development's most iconic design element is its 22-metre-high waterfall, which happens to be the tallest man-made waterfall in the country. It was designed by Waterforms International's Dirk Slotboom, who is best known for his installations at Hobart's MONA gallery, his work on The Great Gatsby film set, and his designs for the Canberra Airport and the Australian embassy in Bangkok.

The waterfall is set within lush green walls by Sydney's living infrastructure specialists Junglefy, with over 5000 tropical plants surrounding the waterfall and rooftop cinema. The cinema space also boasts expansive views across the city and a six-metre-high green wall that surrounds the screen.

The development, designed by award-winning architecture firm SJB, aims to set a new standard for biophilic design, which is meant to boost residents' connectivity to the natural environment.

Apart from the rooftop cinema, residents can also enjoy resort-style facilities like an infinity rooftop pool and terrace, rope walk park, a cantilevered gym, a music room with a grand piano and a function room with a catering kitchen. There's also a children's play area which includes giant games and other play equipment. Every apartment has an oversized balcony too, and the garden apartments have direct access to that rope walk park.

Living in this level of luxury will cost you, of course, with the studios through three-bedroom apartments costing $758,000–$1.893 million, and the double-storey penthouse set at a cool $3.75 million.

The Crown Group is busy on O'Dea street these days, with Mastery by Crown Group also under development just down the block. It'll include a five-building residential development with its own Japanese dining precinct, and is set to be completed in the next few years.

Find Waterfall by Crown Group at 18-20 O'Dea Avenue, Waterloo.