david bowie's childhood home to reopen as public creative hub in south london

"David Bowie's childhood home at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley, South London, is set to be restored and opened to the public by late 2027. After the V&A East Storehouse David Bowie Centre opening (find designboom's previous coverage ), the modest terraced house, where Bowie lived from the ages of 8 to 20 (1955-1967), will be transformed into a public heritage site and creative hub for young people, offering workshops focused on artistic skills, confidence-building, and self-expression."

"Curator Geoffrey Marsh, co-curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum's David Bowie Is exhibition, is collaborating on the restoration. 'It was in this small house, particularly in his tiny bedroom, that Bowie evolved from an ordinary suburban schoolboy to the beginnings of an extraordinary international stardom - as he said "I spent so much time in my bedroom. It really was my entire world. I had books up there, my music up there, my record player. Going from my world upstairs out onto the street, I had to pass through this no-man's-land of the living room,"' he shares, reflecting on the significance of the site."

"Beyond preservation, the house is envisioned as a working space for contemporary creative life. Inspired by Bowie's 1969 Beckenham Arts Lab, a short-lived but influential community art initiative that offered opportunities 'for everybody', the site will host workshops for young people through the Trust's Proud Places and Proud Prospects programs. These sessions will focus on creative practice, communication, and confidence-building, positioning the house as an educational platform rather than a static museum"

David Bowie's childhood home at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley will be restored and opened to the public by late 2027. The modest terraced house served as Bowie's residence from ages eight to twenty (1955–1967). The restoration will transform the building into a public heritage site and a creative hub offering workshops for young people focused on artistic skills, confidence-building, and self-expression. Curator Geoffrey Marsh is collaborating on the project and highlights the formative importance of Bowie's tiny bedroom. Programming will draw on the spirit of Bowie's 1969 Beckenham Arts Lab and run through Proud Places and Proud Prospects initiatives.

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