Which McDonald's visual symbol began as an architectural feature on its early restaurants?

The Golden Arches began as an architectural feature on McDonald's early restaurants.

The arches were part of the restaurant design associated with Richard and Maurice McDonald's drive-in locations. Their bright, curved form was intended to make the buildings visible from the road and give the restaurants a distinctive appearance.

The physical arches later became the basis for the company logo. In 1962, Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar overlapping “M” symbol, allowing the architectural idea to work on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising.

The Golden Arches are sometimes described as having been invented solely as a logo, but their branding history began with buildings. Their transformation from roadside architecture into a corporate mark is one of the clearest examples of McDonald's turning a design feature into a global identity.