McDonald's Design Strategy.

8 different styles: generation loft, generation wenge, generation safran, qualite, urban, purely simple, eternity and main street. Image by: Didier Delmas, (c) McDonalds, see Mcdonalds.fr

In 2006, McDonald's has been launched its 'Less Is More' strategy, developed by French designer Philippe Avanzi (in collaboration with Studio Archange). The strategy is designed to give McDonald's a contemporary look: a mix of design furniture (e.g. Arne Jacobsen chairs, including The Egg, The Swan and The Seven - unfortunately, some McDonald's outlets have been supplied with pirated versions of our chairs – see Time article), leather, timber and photo wallpapers. Philippe Avanzi and his team have developed eight different restaurant styles franchisors can choose from.

Apparently, McDonalds positions itself to be more a restaurant than a fast-food chain. Architecture as a business strategy? In the coming years, McDonalds is going to refurbish about 6,000 outlets across Europe – an unbelievable large design commission for studio Philippe Avanzi and Studio Archange – a rather unknown architectural practice surprisingly without any media attention. Junk-space?