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The so-called Bates Motel of Silver Lake might be getting turned into an art installation project in which it becomes completely covered in a white powder. Or as people in the Midwest call it: winter. The motel's real name is the Sunset Pacific Motel. But due to its location at Sunset Blvd. and Bates Ave. and a seedy reputation, locals call it 'The Bates Motel' after the notorious motel in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
The boarded up motel is set to be demolished and eventually replaced by mixed-use apartment buildings from developers Frost/Chaddock, Eastsider LA reports. Before that happens, French artist Vincent Lamouroux wants to cover the structure in a fine white powder for art. A letter from the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, which endorses the project, to Mayor Garcetti, says the building will be "transfigured with a blanket of ecologically safe, white powder covering the entire building and its close surroundings." There would also be events held near the motel, including lectures and conferences.
Lamouroux has done similar art projects using trees, which looked like this:
Frost/Chaddock are apparently also proponents of the project and have been working with the artist for over a year. They said in a statement that they'll remain supportive as long as Lamoroux can keep community support and obtain the proper permits.
When the Sunset Pacific Motel was open, it didn't have a great reputation. The motel's neighbors frequently complained about crime and it lost its permit to operate in the early 2002. In 2009, Curbed LA reported that homeless werecharging a toll of $1 or $2 to walk down the sidewalk near the motel.
