The childhood home where David Bowie’s imagination first took root—where his early encounters with music and his search for identity began—is set to come back to life after many years. Located in Bromley, southeast London, the house at 4 Plaistow Grove, where Bowie lived from the age of eight into his early twenties, has been purchased by the Heritage of London Trust. Faithfully restored to reflect its early-1960s appearance, the building is expected to open to the public toward the end of 2027.
A modest two-storey working-class home, the house stands as one of the quietest yet most decisive witnesses to Bowie’s transformation from an ordinary suburban child into a global cultural icon. It is known that he wrote one of his most famous songs, Space Oddity, here. The restoration will draw on previously unseen archival materials to accurately reconstruct the interior as it was during Bowie’s time in the house.
Bowie’s World: A Small Room, a Vast Universe
Bowie’s childhood bedroom—approximately nine square metres—will form the heart of the visitor experience as an immersive space. Years later, the artist described this room as “my whole world.” Filled with his books, records, and turntable, where he spent countless hours, the room will be re-imagined as a refuge that nurtured Bowie’s solitude, curiosity, and boundless imagination.
According to Geoffrey Marsh, who is curating the project and previously co-curated the David Bowie Is exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the house is a key site for understanding how Bowie evolved from an “ordinary” beginning into an extraordinary creative figure. Marsh notes that every detail—from wallpaper to layers of paint—will be meticulously examined, with the aim of returning the house to its appearance around 1963. Archives on display will include music and architecture books Bowie read in his youth, a photograph reflecting his admiration for Little Richard, and Elvis Presley records. Memories from Bowie’s childhood friends and close circle will also be woven into the narrative of the space.
The project, launched with £500,000 in funding from the Jones Day Foundation, is also supported by a public fundraising campaign. Once restoration is complete, the house will function not only as a site of remembrance but as a living cultural venue hosting creative workshops for young people.
Nicola Stacey, Director of the Heritage of London Trust, emphasises that the project will pass on Bowie’s deep connection to London to new generations. In her view, the house illuminates not only the past of a singular musician, but also the everyday life of the 1950s and 1960s, a period marked by profound social change.
Timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of David Bowie’s death and the anniversary of the release of Blackstar, the announcement serves as a powerful reminder of how alive his legacy remains. A dream that began in a small bedroom continues to inspire new voices and new generations today.
