Work on a 10m high education pod resembling a giant neuron designed by Will Alsop has begun at an east London university.

Designed for the Centre of the Cell education centre at Queen Mary University of London, the freestanding pod will be connected to the centre’s current space via a bridge link.

Alsop’s £1.5 million pod has been commissioned to deal with the number of visitors to the site in Whitechapel. The centre is designed to inspire school children to pursue a career in the sciences and engage the public with biomedical research.