Which architect designed the McDonald’s restaurant buildings that first featured the famous Golden Arches?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the McDonald’s restaurant buildings that first featured the famous Golden Arches.

Meston was commissioned to create a distinctive design for McDonald’s restaurants in the 1950s. His buildings used large yellow arches at the sides of the structure, making the restaurants visible from the road.

The arches were originally architectural elements rather than a standalone logo. Their shape later inspired the stylized golden “M” associated with McDonald’s worldwide.

The architect’s role is sometimes confused with Jim Schindler’s. Meston designed the restaurant architecture, while Schindler developed the 1962 logo version that transformed the two arches into the familiar emblem.