Some people find the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” offensive, while for others the book is a genuine masterpiece. However, it’s just a matter of personal taste. E. L. James, a British author, posted the book online and it was meant to be a fictional material for “Twilight” fans. In 2011, a small Australian publisher picked up the trilogy. In March 2012, the manuscript was bought with a huge sum by the publishing group “Vintage Books of Knopf Doubleday”. Recently, the book gained filming rights after it was bought with $5 million by Universal Pictures.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” has a graphic sexual content and it was parodied, embraced, and even banned in some parts. The novel makes Washington state famous again. The same happened when “Twilight” appeared and a tiny town called Forks became one of the world’s most famous movie locations. On the other hand, “Fifty Shades” is filmed in Seattle inside a structure called Escala, a luxury condominium building. The top notch penthouse is the perfect set for the submissive sexual relationship between Anastasia Steele, a college student, and Christian Grey, a billionaire.
The book has some creative liberties taken by James. Still, some parts of the book cannot be recreated, like for example landing a helicopter on the roof of the penthouse. Erik Mehr, the director of sales from Escala says that this is not possible. Yet, he admits that the billionaire Grey would have loved to live in a building like Escala.
Mehr states that this is the perfect building for something as opulent as described in the book. Escala is a unique luxury condo building located in Seattle’s neighborhood Belltown. Its overall size is impressive and it features various amenities such as dog run, private spa, theater room, yoga studio, dining area, a gym, a full catering kitchen, and a private dining room. At first sight, Escala does not look like a condo building, but like a 5-star hotel. Mehr declares that all these make perfect sense. For example, a company that serves luxurious hotels such as Four Seasons and Salish Lodge also provides concierge staff for the condo building. Hence, it’s the perfect condo building for a billionaire bachelor.
Also, there are numerous “Fifty Shades” fans out there who want to find out more about the structure. Mehr claims that last year there were a lot of individuals who contacted the Escala staff to find out more details about the condos and the penthouse. Something was going on. Escala opened its gate for visitors and most of them were “Fifty Shades” fans. They were looking at the floor models and the amenities. However, daily tours are available only with appointment because most of units have been sold. People need pre-qualification to see a penthouse that’s private and customizable, and that measures 5,200 square feet.
Such a penthouse costs up to $6 million. The base models can be bought for almost $400,000 each. Only one penthouse was sold until date. Tim Lincecum, a Seattle native and a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, lives in Escala but he opted for a “sub-penthouse” that was $1.5 million.
