The new Tranwell Unit for mental health patients features a specially commissioned sculpture carved from a 3.5 tonne block of granite by Gateshead-born sculptor Fred Watson.
Symbolising the mind's ambiguous relationship with internal and external worlds, the sculpture's meaning also relates to its location in an inner courtyard - both inside and outside the building.
Dominating the composition, a stairway and arch represent social hierarchies and institutions. Against these large, roughly carved masses, a dangling telephone, carved in intricate trompe l'oeil detail, focuses sharply on the lack of an answer, a listener, or communication.