In the original grid plan for Austin, streets that ran east–west were named after trees, while north–south streets were named after rivers. Edwin Waller, a local businessman and signer of Texas’s 1832 Declaration of Independence from Mexico, designed the plan in 1839, the same year that Austin, formerly known as Waterloo, became the capital of the new Republic of Texas.

Almost two centuries later, the sprawling city is a cultural hub internationally known for South by Southwest, F1 racing, and the City Limits music festival, but its early history lives on in place names.

Just south of Waterloo Park between Red River and Sabine streets, The Waller, a 32-story residential tower, is the centerpiece of a mixed-use complex developed by Greystar and designed by the architecture firm R2L. A seven-story office building connects to its taller neighbor through a podium-level sky bridge. The southwest corner of the block is known as Symphony Square, where a collection of four small buildings and 350-seat amphitheater, all of local limestone, overlook Waller Creek. The landmarked main building, built in 1871 by freedman Jeremiah Hamilton—the first African-American in the Texas State Legislature—now houses the offices of the Austin Symphony Orchestra

“We were really inspired by the historic nature of the site and by looking at old pictures of the area, but we also let the geology, the natural carving of the earth, drive our design,” says Tracie Gesch, partner at Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA), the designer of The Waller’s interiors.

The project kicked off just before the Covid pandemic, and, as people spent more and more time at home, the design of The Waller’s 20,000 square feet of amenity spaces took on particular significance. The design team intentionally divided the ground floor into a variety of smaller areas, rather than keep an expansive open plan. On the Sabine Street side of the building, a new outpost of Jo’s Coffee, a popular chain with local roots, is accessible both from the residential building lobby and from outside. Unglazed brick stretches up from the floor to frame cushioned booths. “We wanted to have the connection to the street and take advantage of this amazing location,” says Gesch, noting that, besides frequent classical music concerts in the mini-amphitheater, “old-school” (i.e., grittier) performance venues and bars of the Red River Cultural district lie immediately to the south, while the 5,000-seat Moody Amphitheater hosts a variety of touring music shows in Waterloo Park, two blocks north.

The ground floor’s 20-foot ceilings offer an ample volume to invoke natural phenomena inspired by local geology. In the coffee shop, the marine limestone wall paneling is unpolished, its natural rough texture pitted with the remnants of seashells. In an adjacent co-working and lounge area, white oak walls give way to cove ceilings that seem to have been carved by a meandering river. Paneling inlaid with copper conjures veins of precious metals amid sedimentary layers. Custom light fixtures of copper cubes define the lounge ceiling, and coppery accents glint throughout the space. The darker wood of the concierge station sits against a wall of subtly undulating limestone blocks, recalling the smooth surface of an ancient riverbed. A playful lighting installation jumps from wall to ceiling in a cozy lounge intended for those awaiting car service. “We wanted to work with the full height in some areas, but then have it drop down to more intimate spaces,” says Gesch of the experience of passing through the shifting levels and ceiling heights. MHOA also played with height in the two-story fitness center on the upper level of the podium, working with a local concrete fabricator to create a custom structural tile that covers a double-height wall but also becomes a more decorative divider when the solid wall disintegrates into a checkerboard pattern.

For common areas at the penthouse—a library, a social/dining space, and a game area—the designers highlighted unobstructed city views, retaining some elements used downstairs, like the cove lighting, built-in lounge seating, and rich textures, notably the velvet upholstered banquette and woven silk textile wallcovering in the library. Coworking style spaces, such as a conference area and individual offices, are available for residents to rent.

The outdoor terrace offers a view of the evolving Waterloo Greenway, a 1.5-mile park (designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates) that, when completed in 2026, will connect 35 acres of green space through the downtown. Meandering Waller Creek sets the course for the new Greenway, further weaving its namesake into Austin’s urban fabric.