Copenhagen’s waterfront welcomes a new bathing destination, unpacking the real estate of “You Can See Everything,” and Daft Punk’s next act comes in LEGO bricks. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
The bedeviling work behind haunted houses
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No childhood is complete without a formative visit to a haunted house in the run-up to Halloween. We appreciate a good scare or two, but we may fail to consider the work behind them as we push our nervous systems to a breaking point navigating a labyrinth of horror. These elaborate attractions come together in narrow windows of time to host only a few weeks of terror, all while upping the ante from last year and navigating safety codes and space constraints. Just ask the operators behind New York’s beloved Blood Manor in Tribeca. The popular haunt’s annual rent may total $200,000 according to The New York Times, but ticketed Halloween haunted houses (of which there are more than 1,200 in the U.S.) generate $300 million in annual revenue as seasonal attractions—also meaning they cram a year’s work of business into less than a month. Pure Terror Scream Park in Monroe, New York also understands the labor required, except they do it outdoors. Comprising 10 haunted activations across 10 acres, the attraction is built from scratch and requires extensive offseason maintenance, all while making sure its 400 employees get paid. Hopefully the newfound appreciation I’ve bestowed is all you’ll need to rationalize Blood Manor’s $50 entry fee.
The luxury rentals of “You Can See Everything”
A behind-the-scenes shot of “You Can See Everything” taken inside the Del Mar rental; photo by Lance Oppenheim
Speaking of haunted houses: from Del Mar, California to Austin, Texas, blockbuster documentary “You Can See Everything” presents Elizabeth Holmes and her partner Billy Evans to us in the confines of upscale rental properties before and after Holmes begins her prison sentence in 2023. But even over three hours, we never learn much about their unusual real estate journey. Curbed fills in the gaps with a closer look at all three properties. The wood-lined beach house prominently featured in the film’s first act was last available for a monthly rate of $5,650 in 2015 and previously assessed at $441,110. If you think that sounds a little too good to be true for a beachfront retreat in San Diego, you’re right. Substack writer and detective Carson Griffith learned that the Evans family knew the owner of the address, and reports $28,000 as the monthly rent and $8.995 million as the current estimated value, per Zillow. The Sunset Valley, Texas Airbnb we join the couple in next asks for a whopping nightly rate of $2,632, but sleeps up to 18 and includes tony amenities like a hot tub, sauna, and pickleball court (what is it with rich people and pickleball?). Later in the film, Evans and his children are staying in an Austin rental last advertised at $8,750 a month and now listed for sale at $2.25 million. From there, the film spirals into a spellbinding breaking of reality that must be seen to be believed. This writer won’t give anything away, but there is one more house we visit in this film and that’s the one I’d most like a tour of…
Daft Punk comes alive with LEGO
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Time will tell if Daft Punk reunites one more time after disbanding in 2021, but for now, we can play with their LEGO collection. That’s right, Wallpaper reports the French music legends have joined forces with LEGO for a “long-term partnership.” A representation of Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid stage set will go into production next year, but visuals from the announcement video seem to tease figurines of the duo as well as sets inspired by “Tron: Legacy,” which the band scored and cameoed in 2010. Daft Punk creative director Cédric Hervet is mum about what the collaboration may generate in his interview with Jonathan Bell, but his positivity about the creative symbiosis of both brands suggests we may get lucky.
Kengo Kuma makes a splash in Copenhagen
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshøj
The KAI Water Culture House is set to debut December 5th on Papirøen—or Paper Island—in Copenhagen. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration with Cornelius Vöge Atelier for Architecture, the forthcoming community hub comprises five brick towers shaped around the public pools beneath them, creating distinct interior spaces and a varied roofline across nearly 62,500 square feet. ArchDaily reports that roughly 300,000 handmade bricks compose the facility, contrasting lower glazed structures that pull in daylight and frame waterfront vistas. Ten indoor and outdoor pools will be featured onsite alongside wellness facilities, cultural spaces, and access to Copenhagen Harbour. One alfresco pool dubbed the Valley Pool will be situated between towers on the first floor along with an outdoor onsen pool on the same level. Anybody up for a field trip during 3daysofdesign next year?
Peek inside Designed Spaces at BDNY
The Unkindness of Ravens, a 2026 BDNY Designed Space by Preen, Inc.; rendering courtesy of Vision Republic
In just nine days, BDNY’s 2026 Designed Spaces will bring distinctive lounges, cafés, and other gathering spots to the show floor. Dozens of hospitality interiors will be unveiled by leading design teams using products from multiple vendors in a showcase of industry innovation and collaboration. Among the can’t-miss activations is One Night Only, a vision conceived by IHG Hotels & Resorts and Crème in homage to New York nightlife. //3877 is also on deck, reimagining the conference lounge as an intimate supper club, while Ennismore and Avenue ID Design will reinvigorate an Old World Manhattan penthouse through a contemporary lens. Preen, Inc. will introduce a moodier atmosphere with the Unkindness of Ravens, where cocktails, talks, birds, and beats await. The centerpiece of the show, the 2026 BDNY Mainstage, is the handiwork of Beth Bloom Designs, rounding out the lineup with an opulent coastal feel that imbues warmth and botanical flair.