Which architect designed the golden-arch signs for McDonald's early restaurants?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the golden-arch signs used by McDonald's early restaurants.

Meston was an architect working with McDonald's franchisee Richard McDonald on the restaurant's highly recognizable roadside appearance. The arches were not initially conceived as a corporate logo. They were large, physical structures incorporated into the building design and intended to attract motorists from a distance.

The arches appeared as a pair of yellow structures rising above the restaurant roofline. Their shape later became the basis for the letter-like “M” associated with McDonald's. This is why the Golden Arches are both an architectural feature and a branding symbol.

A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with designing the arches. Kroc expanded the franchise system, but Meston is credited with the architectural design. The separate arches were later combined into a unified logo in 1962, a distinct step from the original restaurant design.