The Golden Arches were added to many McDonald's buildings in the 1950s.
The arches originated as large architectural elements on McDonald's roadside restaurants. Architect Stanley Clark Meston incorporated them into the design developed for the chain, creating a highly visible silhouette intended to attract motorists. Their bright yellow color made the structures especially noticeable from the road.
Although the arches began as building features, they later became the basis for McDonald's corporate logo. In 1962, Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar M-shaped symbol. This transition from architecture to graphic branding helped McDonald's maintain a visual connection between its restaurants and its packaging, advertising, and signage.
The term “Golden Arches” can therefore refer either to the physical arches or to the logo derived from them. They were not originally created as a letter M. The letter-like logo came later, after the arches had already become associated with McDonald's restaurants.