Golden arches gave McDonald’s early restaurants their famous roadside silhouette.
Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the original McDonald’s restaurant buildings with large yellow arches on opposing sides of the structure. The arches were intended to make the restaurants visible from the road and to create a memorable architectural identity.
The first arches were architectural elements, not initially the standalone “M” logo seen today. Their bright color and curved shape made them easy to recognize at a distance, especially when restaurants were located along highways and busy commercial roads.
In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the modern emblem. This history explains why the logo is called the Golden Arches even though the symbol is now usually printed rather than built. The arches are therefore both a building design feature and a corporate brand mark.