Like its menus, the architecture of McDonald’s restaurants is often the same. Here are 10 exceptions that prove otherwise!
If you’re traveling around the world and aren’t very adventurous when it comes to your diet, you can be sure to find McDonald’s restaurants all over the place. They promise a standardized meal that never disappoints. Sometimes, they can also be used for free WiFi internet access.
You’d think that the architecture of this brand would be repeated ad infinitum. But as you’ll see, there are several unusual places where you can enjoy your Big Mac in a different way.
1. Frattocchie, Italy
The town of Marino, 20 km from Rome, is home to a veritable museum-restaurant. A glass floor allows customers of this McDonald’s to observe the remains of the Appian Way, as well as skeletons!
2. Taupo, New Zealand
This restaurant features an old DC3 aircraft once used by the US armed forces. Since the 90s, it has carried the McDonald’s colors and is now a popular place to dine.
3. Times Square, New York, United States
McDonald’s on Broadway in New York takes on the look of a Music Hall. It imitates the facades of the local theaters, with its large yellow illuminated letters on a red background.
4. Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
A luminous « M », totally out of proportion, can only be in Las Vegas. The gambling paradise welcomes this surprising building to its festive, neon-lit decor.
5. Ulsan, South Korea
This McDonald’s, located in a gas station, is impressive not for its size, but for the two large wings that serve as its front and its futuristic lighting.
6. Batoumi, Georgia
ArchDaily, one of the most popular websites devoted to architecture, awarded this McDonald’s the prize for Best Commercial Building 2013. A place well worth a visit.
7. New Hyde Park, New York, United States
There is such a thing as a McDonald’s in a colonial house. The building was constructed in 1795 and bought by the American chain in 1985, but its architecture was preserved under pressure from local residents who refused to see Denton House transformed.
8. Paris, France
Sandwiched between two Haussmann buildings in Paris, this restaurant is housed in a former Alsatian brasserie, in a building typical of the region.
9. Budapest, Hungary
This McDonald’s is located in the Budapest-Nyugati railway station and is one of the most beautiful in the world. It’s housed in a former restaurant designed by the Eiffel company in the 1870s. Its Beaux-Arts and baroque style is sure to please any burger and fries enthusiast!
10. St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Although this restaurant is now closed, it’s hard not to include it in our top 10. Back in the day, you could dine in a superb steamship moored on the Mississippi.