I got drawn to this article because I'd heard JJ Abrams company just optioned it. News articles don't get optioned much, so I was intrigued, and was even moreso when I found out what it's about.
Without their knowledge, a family's newly remodeled apartment in the UES was "boobytrapped" by the possibly genius, possibly insane architect they hired and his cadre of artisans, artists, codebreakers and authors. While by all appearances their home is a fully-funtional luxury apartment for a family of 6, with tastefully eccentric and playfull decor... it took a year before the first "clue" was discovered, when the oldest son's friend realized with the seemingly random letters carved into the radiator in the boy's room was a code - and that the first word in the code was the boy's name!
As time dragged on various members of the family made other discoveries, like how two seemingly useless decorative door handles could be put together to open a secret compartment that contained a book - written specifically for this family (more specifically the 4 children) - introducing them to the mysteries of the house and people who once lived there (or previously owned their antique furniture).
They realized they were living in an incredibly complex savanger hunt designed to solve an elaborately structured mystery.
The ultimate revelation after solving all the puzzles: the opening of more secret portals in the den, behind which is a poem the father wrote about his family painted in gold calligraphy.
How fucking awesome is that? God, I think back to when my first creative sparks were flying as a child and can only imagine how an experience like this would have fueled my artistic mind. What a wonderful gift to these 4 children. It's definitely worth a read (and check out the slide show too).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/g...=1&scp=4&sq=Penelope+Green&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Without their knowledge, a family's newly remodeled apartment in the UES was "boobytrapped" by the possibly genius, possibly insane architect they hired and his cadre of artisans, artists, codebreakers and authors. While by all appearances their home is a fully-funtional luxury apartment for a family of 6, with tastefully eccentric and playfull decor... it took a year before the first "clue" was discovered, when the oldest son's friend realized with the seemingly random letters carved into the radiator in the boy's room was a code - and that the first word in the code was the boy's name!
As time dragged on various members of the family made other discoveries, like how two seemingly useless decorative door handles could be put together to open a secret compartment that contained a book - written specifically for this family (more specifically the 4 children) - introducing them to the mysteries of the house and people who once lived there (or previously owned their antique furniture).
They realized they were living in an incredibly complex savanger hunt designed to solve an elaborately structured mystery.
The ultimate revelation after solving all the puzzles: the opening of more secret portals in the den, behind which is a poem the father wrote about his family painted in gold calligraphy.
How fucking awesome is that? God, I think back to when my first creative sparks were flying as a child and can only imagine how an experience like this would have fueled my artistic mind. What a wonderful gift to these 4 children. It's definitely worth a read (and check out the slide show too).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/g...=1&scp=4&sq=Penelope+Green&st=nyt&oref=slogin
