Which architect designed the early McDonald’s restaurants featuring the original Golden Arches?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the early McDonald’s restaurants featuring the original Golden Arches.

Meston worked with McDonald’s franchisee Roger Williams to develop the distinctive roadside restaurant design in the early 1950s. The building used large yellow arches that rose above the roofline, making the restaurant highly visible to passing motorists.

The design was more than decoration. Its shape created a repeatable architectural identity that franchisees could use in different locations, helping customers recognize McDonald’s before the company’s modern logo system was fully established.

The Golden Arches later became a graphic symbol rather than only a building feature. That transition is why the arches are often credited simply as a logo, even though their earliest major role was architectural. Meston’s work connected McDonald’s restaurant design with its long-term visual brand.