Roseberry Park

Roseberry Park is a £75m flagship facility that provides mental health services for working-age adults and older people, as well as treatment and care for people with learning difficulties. Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust commissioned the building to replace the old St Luke’s Hospital, and it has been constructed through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) process with construction partner Laing O’Rourke.

Art consultants Grit & Pearl were appointed by the Trust to commission and manage the artworks, which were considered to be a crucial element in the creation of a high quality patient environment. The artworks vary in styles and materials, but most have a loose connection with nature and the organic, avoiding hard abstraction. There is significant evidence to support this approach, as images of nature have a proven therapeutic value.

The ground floor café is an ideal location for the glasswork, being located next to the main entrance plaza with parkland opposite. The café glazing is to two elevations: clear glass, floor-to-ceiling on the eastern elevation, and six panels of decorative glazing on the south-face.

The design for the glasswork was chosen by a panel of service users and staff, and is based on photographs of maple leaves on an autumn day. The design is vibrant and colourful, and is intended to be uplifting and cheerful. The use of opaque ceramic enamels on pre-etched float glass prevents visibility through the glass, and enables the design to be seen equally well from inside and outside the café.

The Duke of Gloucester officially opened Roseberry Park on 15th October 2011.

Commissioner: Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Marton Road, Middlesbrough

Architects: Maap Architects Ltd

Contractor: Laing O’Rourke

Commissioning Agents: Grit & Pearl Consultancy Ltd