David Bowie’s childhood home in south London is to be opened to the public for the first time, after the Heritage of London Trust acquired the property. The two-up, two-down house at 4 Plaistow Grove, Bromley, where Bowie lived from 1955 to 1968, will be restored and transformed into an immersive museum experience by the end of 2027.
Visitors will be able to explore the tiny teenage bedroom, measuring about 9ft by 10ft, where Bowie recalled spending much of his youth. The restoration will feature never-before-seen archival items, including his copies of the Observer’s books on music and architecture, with his exam results written inside one, and a photograph of his hero Little Richard that he had cut out as a child and kept with him throughout his life. Elvis Presley singles brought home by his father will also be on display.
Friends including artist George Underwood and actress Dana Gillespie have provided memories of the house. The restoration, curated by Geoffrey Marsh, who co-curated the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition, aims to return the property to how it looked around 1963. Creative and skills workshops for young people, inspired by Bowie’s Arts Lab movement, will also be held there.
Funding has begun with a £500,000 grant from the Jones Day Foundation, with a public fundraising campaign starting this month. A public consultation will be held on the proposed changes. Bowie, who would have turned 79 this week, died 10 years ago.
