The Lighting Practice teamed with Ayers Saint Gross to design the interior and exterior lighting for the new 39,000 SF travel plaza. TLP’s goal was to accentuate the architecture of the building and create a calm welcoming environment for weary travelers. The building features large windows and multiple skylights. TLP’s lighting design maximizes available daylight and supplements where necessary with subtle fluorescent and LED light fixtures. Decorative shaded fixtures were also incorporated into the dinning area to enhance the feeling of home and familiarity. The rest stop located on i-95 has reopened itself for visitors!
New Maryland House rest stop to reopen
I-95 facility in Harford County closed 18 months for renovations
EST Jan 13, 2014 | By Kim Dacey
HARFORD COUNTY, Md. —A rest stop for those who travel Interstate 95 in Harford County will soon reopen after getting a $30 million makeover through a public-private partnership.
The Maryland House rest stop has been closed for 18 months while crews demolished the old building built in 1963 and put up a brand new 42,000 square foot facility. Workers are putting the finishing touches on it this week.
“I would invite everyone to come here to see. These are state of the art, modern, clean, welcoming and warm, so I think it’s going to be a big improvement compared to what we used to have before this,” said Xavier Rabell, the chief executive officer of developer Areas USA.
“This place is nice and light. It’s an airy, open customer service experience. People are used to that when they go to a mall. They want their food concepts. They want a nice atmosphere to eat in,” said Bruce Gartner of the Maryland Transportation Authority.
In addition to new food and retail stores, the building has new high-speed gas pumps and more parking for travelers. Inside, there’s a place for kids to play, double the amount of restrooms and other features to bring Maryland House into 2014 that will keep the roads safer.
“We’ve got free wi-fi access, which is very important to travelers — to the business traveler — that needs to stop and take care of something. That’s a great feature in terms of not feeling compelled to text while you’re on the road. You can stop and get something done on your laptop,” Gartner said.
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