The visual symbol added to McDonald’s restaurant buildings in the 1950s was the pair of golden arches.
Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the arches as part of the distinctive building created for McDonald’s in the 1950s. The structure used two large yellow arches, one on each side of the restaurant, to make the building visible from the road. When viewed from an angle, the arches formed a recognizable shape.
The arches later became more than an architectural feature. McDonald’s incorporated them into its corporate identity and eventually used them as the familiar “Golden Arches” symbol seen on signs, packaging, and advertising.
The arches should not be confused with the later stylized logo redesign. The buildings came first; the symbol was subsequently simplified and adapted into a broader visual mark for the brand.