David Bowie's Childhood Home To Be Restored, Opened To The Public

David Bowie

Plans are underway for David Bowie’s South London childhood home to be restored and opened to the public.

NME reports that the Heritage of London Trust leads the project. The organisation has acquired Bowie’s childhood terraced home in Bromley and plans to recreate the exact interior layout of the house as it was when the music icon lived there between the ages of 8 and 20, which was from 1955 to 1967.

Announced on Thursday (8 January), the news arrived on what would have been Bowie’s 79th birthday and the tenth anniversary of his influential final album, Blackstar. The record arrived just two days before Bowie’s passing.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2027, having secured a “major grant” of £500,000 ($1 million) from the Jones Day Foundation. Plans for the restored home include creative and skills workshops for young people, providing a “solid foundation for the next generation.”

The Heritage of London Trust’s director, Dr Nicola Stacey, commented that Bowie’s upbringing in London supported his career, and it’s “wonderful to have this opportunity to tell his story and inspire a new generation of young people.”

Stacey said, “David Bowie was a proud Londoner. Even though his career took him all over the world, he always remembered where he came from and the community that supported him as he grew up.”

“It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to tell his story and inspire a new generation of young people, and it’s really important for the heritage of London to preserve this site. We are thrilled to have already secured a major grant of £500,000 from the Jones Day Foundation towards the project, and hope that people everywhere will want to be involved.”

George Underwood, an artist and musician and David Bowie’s lifelong friend, added (per Variety): “We spent so much time together, listening to and playing music.”

“I’ve heard a lot of people say David’s music saved them or changed their life. It’s amazing that he could do that and even more amazing that it all started here, from such small beginnings, in this house. We were dreamers, and look what he became.”

In September, the David Bowie Centre opened at the V&A East Storehouse in London.

The store and fan attraction is home to over 90,000 works related to the influential artist, including designer couture and vintage shirts, items from the Glastonbury Festival archive, mini displays, and more.

Additional artefacts have been revealed in the archive, including a note listing Bowie’s favourite songs. It’s titled: “Memo for radio show – list of favourite records.” You can find out about his favourite songs here.