Who designed the original McDonald's Golden Arches as architectural structures?

Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the original McDonald's Golden Arches as architectural structures.

Meston developed the arches for the McDonald's restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, in the early 1950s. The large yellow forms were incorporated into the building's sides and were intended to make the restaurant visible to passing motorists.

The arches were initially part of the building design rather than a standalone corporate logo. Their strong silhouette, repeated use, and association with McDonald's restaurants eventually allowed them to become one of the world's most recognizable brand symbols.

Jim Schindler later transformed the architectural idea into the familiar logo form in 1962. This distinction matters: Meston designed the physical arches, while Schindler created the stylized overlapping-arches mark used in corporate identity.