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Architect Secretly Builds Epic Scavenger Hunt into NYC Apartment
Posted by Adam Frucci at 2:50 AM on June 13, 2008
Eric Clough isn't your typical architectural designer. Sure, he'll design you a fine den or kitchen, but he's clearly got a creative streak that goes much deeper than that. That's why, when given the opportunity, he secretly built an incredible scavenger hunt into a US$8.5-million, 4,200-square-foot Park Avenue apartment that included ciphers, riddles, poems and a lot of hidden doors and compartments.
In any case, the finale involved, in part, removing decorative door knockers from two hallway panels, which fit together to make a crank, which in turn opened hidden panels in a credenza in the dining room, which displayed multiple keys and keyholes, which, when the correct ones were used, yielded drawers containing acrylic letters and a table-size cloth imprinted with the beginnings of a crossword puzzle, the answers to which led to one of the rectangular panels lining the tiny den, which concealed a chamfered magnetic cube, which could be used to open the 24 remaining panels, revealing, in large type, the poem written by Mr. Klinsky.
How amazing is that? It took the family months to discover the scavenger hunt and weeks after that to figure it all out. It's like living in a children's book of some kind.
Unfortunately, magical things like this really are only possible when you're loaded enough to buy an $8.5-million apartment and then give someone another $1.26 million to renovate it without much oversight. But hey, maybe if you're nice to the guys installing your new fridge they'll leave a post-it note with a poem stuck behind it as a secret prize for when you move. Not quite as magical, but I'm trying to work within your means here.
[NY Times]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Klappstuhl
Posted 4:15 AM 13/6/08
@Munch: FRITZL TIME!
Klappstuhl
Rabid Penguin
Posted 4:15 AM 13/6/08
@JacquesAss: If it were Myst that inspired him to create this puzzle then I'm sure the family either would have given up a long time ago due or realized at the end they could have skipped the whole damn puzzle if they would have looked in their fireplace to begin with.
Rabid Penguin
RedBeard
Posted 4:12 AM 13/6/08
simply stunning, not to mention an awesome way to hide their valuables now
RedBeard
JacquesAss
Posted 4:09 AM 13/6/08
Methinks Mr. Clough hath played too much Myst...
JacquesAss
Lupison
Posted 4:02 AM 13/6/08
I can't wait for virtual reality.
Lupison
Thud
Posted 3:54 AM 13/6/08
What you don't see is the back of the picture frame the kid is looking at says...
The cake is a lie.
Thud
CColdsmoke
Posted 3:52 AM 13/6/08
Well, the beauty of that puzzle house just made me tear up a little. That's like an adventure game in real life.
But are the chainsaw AND the chainsaw gas can hidden in the same house or do you have to wait until you move to find the gas can in your new house?
CColdsmoke
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 3:47 AM 13/6/08
@WildWon: To remove the spider's curse, simply quote a Bible verse.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
WildWon
Posted 3:40 AM 13/6/08
If the plant ye wish to flee, head to sector 7-B.
WildWon
Monty
Posted 3:35 AM 13/6/08
Neat, but no matter how good it is, it would be difficult to get to the end of the game and not say "I paid 1.26 million dollars for that?"
Monty
bosskev
Posted 3:33 AM 13/6/08
@Rabid Penguin: "...and you have to make sure you separate your poison darts from your papers and plastics - they don't recycle them together anymore."
Ahh! Thanks for the tip. I had been wondering why my garbage guys kept leaving my recycle bin untouched.
(-18)
bosskev
bosskev
Posted 3:26 AM 13/6/08
The wide-eyed child in me is in awe of this kind of wondrous and fanciful treasure hunt.
The suspicious adult in me wonders where the architect has hidden the secret video cameras.
bosskev
Hazdaz
Posted 3:23 AM 13/6/08
So now we know the plot to "National Treasure 3, the architect's riddle"
Hazdaz
Rabid Penguin
Posted 3:22 AM 13/6/08
@xmlguy: All that's fine as long as you install a ventilation system that vents the air to the outside and not to the attic; You have to put up a sign that reads: "Do not enter: Huge stone ball may crush you if deemed unworthy."; and you have to make sure you separate your poison darts from your papers and plastics - they don't recycle them together anymore.
Rabid Penguin
Redwraithvienna
Posted 3:20 AM 13/6/08
Btw read the full NY Times article ... this is the coolest thing ever ... incredible.-
Redwraithvienna
SigmundTheSeaMonster
Posted 3:19 AM 13/6/08
Perhaps you would be interested in purchasing this Blue Button to get you down?
SigmundTheSeaMonster
xmlguy
Posted 3:16 AM 13/6/08
What, no lava pit? No huge stone ball to crush the unworthy? No poison darts shooting out the walls?
Of course, you might have problems with building code at that point ...
xmlguy
inboulder1
Posted 3:15 AM 13/6/08
wow, 8.5 million sure buys you an ugly house these days.
inboulder1
Groggy Banana
Posted 3:13 AM 13/6/08
How about some fancy lightbox javascripting to view the photos? You done it before Giz, Gawker, Mr. Webdesigner, but oddly just on certain articles.
It's 2008. Let's NOT load an entire page for a single image.
Groggy Banana
i_prefer_sasquatch
Posted 3:10 AM 13/6/08
I tried to do this in my house for my kid with some awesome puzzles and hidden secrets.
Unfortunately it was too hard and we both got discouraged and stopped in the middle.
Real bummer was the grand finale super-hidden-prize puppy died.
I couldn't find the damn thing after it started stinking so we moved.
i_prefer_sasquatch
Munch
Posted 3:10 AM 13/6/08
If you solve everything do you gain access to a hidden incestuous European family located in the basement?
Munch
odnet
Posted 3:08 AM 13/6/08
man.. I wish I was that kid growing up, total free mason genius.
odnet
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 3:04 AM 13/6/08
The door with all the keys reminds me of a MacGyver episode.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 3:03 AM 13/6/08
I worry for the kid standing on the toilet lid w/socks on. There's a fall waiting to happen.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Rabid Penguin
Posted 3:02 AM 13/6/08
So wait a second... there reward for weeks of hard work trying to solve this puzzle was a poem? Why not just have the final door open and a robot kicks them in the balls.
Rabid Penguin
ReynaldoRiv
Posted 2:59 AM 13/6/08
Epic
ReynaldoRiv
Kaiser-Machead's got LindsayJoy's cookies on the SuperDrive
Posted 2:58 AM 13/6/08
"Shit...where did I leave my keys?"
*paper slides out of crack in wall*
"To find the keys, you may have to wait, until you come to a seven and eight...."
"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN???"
Kaiser-Machead's got LindsayJoy's cookies on the SuperDrive
Munch
Posted 4:53 AM 13/6/08
@Pope John Peeps II: "GODDAMMIT!!!" - How un-Popely of you
Munch
Pope John Peeps II
Posted 4:47 AM 13/6/08
@Kaiser-Machead's got LindsayJoy's cookies on the SuperDrive: Ha ha. That's great.
"Oh shit, I gotta pee real bad."
*recording starts*
"To use the can is all men's dreams,
so listen close to all my schemes,
for if you solve these puzzles three
in just six days you'll get to pee."
"GODDAMMIT!!!"
Pope John Peeps II
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 4:42 AM 13/6/08
My refrigerator installers did leave a post-it. Unfortunately it said, "We took the beer."
GeekyNerdGuy
Stang70Fastback
Posted 4:35 AM 13/6/08
@Thud: Honestly, if I were the architect, that's what the piece of paper at the end would say... 5 times.
Stang70Fastback
LoganSix
Posted 4:21 AM 13/6/08
So, it's more of a puzzle or riddle than a scavenger hunt.
LoganSix
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 4:17 AM 13/6/08
Hasn't anyone watched Law and Order? Never trust anyone who lives in a multi-million dollar NY apartment with secret rooms and leavers.
MagnoliaBoy
YMMV
Posted 5:08 AM 13/6/08
Your story neglects to introduce Mr. Klinsky and yet references his poem.
YMMV
keene
Posted 5:05 AM 13/6/08
Wow, so they spent a million bucks to have a puzzle that would be fun to solve...once?
What a waste.
These asshats should have donated that million dollars to charity instead.
keene
hu_hu_cool
Posted 5:05 AM 13/6/08
Does anyone else see a Le corbusier design on that wooden panel?
hu_hu_cool
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
Posted 6:06 AM 13/6/08
@bailey_ca: The answer is a laser pointer. It worked for Voyager.
Git Em SteveDave's G3 hearts a certain MBP
halfshafter
Posted 6:05 AM 13/6/08
That joint is scarier than 1408!
halfshafter
bailey_ca
Posted 6:03 AM 13/6/08
@SigmundTheSeaMonster: Ha! I haven't seen that cartoon in ages! For some reason I remember it creeping me out when I was a kid.
@keene: If nothing else, they should've kicked in an extra $200,000 to get a room full of mirrors and an evil villain goading them to shoot him...but which one to shoot? *maniacal laugh*
bailey_ca
zenpoet
Posted 6:00 AM 13/6/08
@Monty: ah, except they didn't even know the price included that, so it was a bonus. If they were happy with what was there PRIOR to the discovery, I would say they received a bargain.
zenpoet
HawkSkater0
Posted 6:52 AM 13/6/08
for 8.5 million, i better get a map or some hints or something
HawkSkater0
Numerous
Posted 6:45 AM 13/6/08
It would be cool to buy a house and find the puzzles or inherit an old home and find them. But to pay for it, or worse, not know that the price included an extra 1.whatever million for a series of puzzles. No thanks.
Numerous
kyel57
Posted 7:42 AM 13/6/08
@keene: No they spent a million dollars to have a world class architect renovate their 8.5 million dollar apartment. The puzzle was just an added bonus :]. Read the article next time.
kyel57
vinnyr
Posted 5:27 AM 13/6/08
It cool, but what about functionality?
vinnyr
PeeZed
Posted 4:32 AM 13/6/08
I wonder if they discovered the secret panel that reveals the map to the key that opens the box that Eric keeps his 4 pounds of blow in.
PeeZed
FritzLaurel
Posted 8:51 AM 13/6/08
@i_prefer_sasquatch: Maybe you weren't properly motivated. Like $1.26M motivated...
FritzLaurel
williamdev
Posted 3:34 AM 13/6/08
Righteous
williamdev
Pyao lyang shen
Posted 6:01 PM 13/6/08
when I become an architect.. I will create the pacman level house. complete with ghosts and edible walls.
Pyao lyang shen
Wubbytoes
Posted 6:00 PM 13/6/08
Cool, so he ported Myst to an apartment?
Wubbytoes
notyavgkat
Posted 2:46 AM 14/6/08
what is this penthouse on haunted hill ?
notyavgkat
zeeohsix
Posted 8:23 AM 14/6/08
it's like a real-life Myst.
glad i don't live there
zeeohsix