This Motel is a Museum

"Pay by the week" motels are a vanishing relic of old Downtown Las Vegas. Aging architecture holds little value in Sin City. Considered vital by many low-income and transitioning citizens, they are quickly being bought, boarded and hipster-fied by Las Vegas' dubious, Zappo's funded Downtown Project.

The Town Lodge Motel was previously a home for locals with no credit, no connections or limited means. It was shut down, boarded up and transformed into an art exhibition space for the 2013 Life is Beautiful event.

The day before it was whitewashed, photographer Phil Barcio documented the inherent elegance of its beautiful decay.

This Motel is a Museum is available on Lulu.com.