McDonald’s most recognizable architectural brand symbol is the Golden Arches.
Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the arches for the McDonald’s restaurant in Downey, California, which opened in 1953. The large yellow arches were intended to make the building visible to passing motorists and gave the restaurant a distinctive roadside silhouette.
The arches were originally physical parts of restaurant architecture rather than a standalone corporate logo. As McDonald’s expanded, the design became increasingly associated with the company itself. In 1962, the arches were adapted into the familiar overlapping “M” logo, helping turn a building feature into an international brand mark.
A common mix-up is attributing the arches solely to Ray Kroc. Kroc drove the company’s expansion, but the restaurant design came from the McDonald brothers’ architectural program and Meston’s work. The Downey site is preserved as the oldest surviving McDonald’s restaurant.