From Art to Part

Metropolitan Works is a not-for-profit Creative Industries Centre that helps turn conceptual artwork and designs into reality through access to a range of services that include digital manufacturing, workshop facilities, knowledge transfer, advice, courses and exhibitions.

“The idea behind Metropolitan Works is to reach out to a new market of people by offering affordable means of tapping into advanced digital technology that was previously cost prohibitive and therefore inaccessible,” says Ed Alves, the organisation’s technical manager. “We differ from most rapid manufacturing bureaus in that our employees come from creative rather than industrial backgrounds.”

At the heart of Metropolitan Works’ impressive new facility on Commercial Road, Whitechapel is the Digital Manufacturing Centre, which houses a range of new technology for prototyping, manufacture, research and

experimentation, including two Z Corporation 3D printers – a ZPrinter 310 monochrome 3D printer and the most recent acquisition, a Spectrum Z510.