Paddington Reservoir opens

Check out this oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street

First published on 1 Apr 2009. Updated on 15 Apr 2011.

One of Sydney's most top-secret art grottoes and unique abandoned spaces has been reborn this month. The Paddington Reservoir, built 142 years ago, was decommissioned in 1914 and became a garage. In 1993, the servo's roof caved-in, leaving the site derelict but for hordes of feral cats and a shadowy graffiti movement who under the cover of night filled the walls of the 1023-square-metre site with stunning frescoes and murals.

Now, with almost $10 million worth of restoration work complete, Time Out can reveal what lurks within the new Paddington Reservoir Gardens: a stunning Romanesque sunken garden with a lake of contemplation at its centre and a hanging garden canopy around the perimeter and an eastern chamber left empty but for the wall art. This blank canvas 'cultural precinct' will host markets, art and film festivals.


Cnr Oxford & Oatley Sts, Paddington 2021

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