McDonald’s new restaurant design bridges creativity and sustainability through a focus on decor circularity, elevating the way design meets the needs of the customers and employees. Not only does the new decor have a bright, optimistic look, but the circularity principles provide a sunny outlook to the future of how McDonald's will be feeding and fostering community.
Belgium's historic first McDonald's restaurant has received a facelift with this new sustainable design aimed at minimizing environmental impact. The Brussels restaurant is the third in the world to adopt this new look, following the first two pilot locations in France. Every aspect of the restaurant, from circular furniture to energy-efficient lighting, is carefully designed to minimize environmental impact while providing a superior dining experience.
McDonald’s asked WeWantMore to develop an innovative interior concept that would significantly outperform the current average on the circularity index. The result proves that sustainable design can be bold, fun, and visually engaging — while still making a measurable impact.
During the product design phase, every connection and construction detail was carefully considered and reimagined to explore more circular ways of building. Meeting this challenge required an innovative mindset that prioritized research into monomaterials, recycled content, and practical takeback programs. All design decisions were guided by a single goal: to achieve sustainable outcomes without compromising the McDonald’s customer experience.
This thinking comes to life through expressive design elements: the yellow S-shaped bench, food-inspired multi-material artworks, and rays of light reflected in the infinity wall and partitions. Distorted glass surfaces and dichroic foil applied to cardboard shutters echo the changing light of a sunny day. These playful details are grounded by richly textured recycled materials — cork, cardboard, and recycled plastics — adding both warmth and movement. There is an extra layer of functionality added in terms of total cost of operations. All furniture can be disassembled which will facilitate repairs and partial replacement throughout the years.
Throughout the process, it was paramount that our design choices generate positive impacts for both people and the planet. Over 80% of wood is PEFC-certified; tabletops and stools use 100% recycled plastics; flooring (70%) and ceiling (100%) are Cradle-to-Cradle certified; and LED fixtures feature replaceable chips.
By embedding a real-time circularity index and providing local teams with detailed disassembly guides, we ensured proper material recovery and ongoing performance tracking. This project not only preserves the heritage of Belgium’s first McDonald’s building but also advances McDonald’s 2050 net-zero ambition.
McDonald`s Bourse
WeWantMore
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Ian Neville Douglas-Jones
Creative Director and Cofounder
at Atelier I-N-D-J
Really great to hear quantifiable a...
8
7.5
7.5
9.5
8.13

Anand Sharma
Founder and Partner
at Design Forum International
Very refreshing, very vibrant. Inst...
8.5
8
8
8
8.13

Renee Cheng
Partner & Vice President
at CCD|Cheng Chung Design HK
It creates a holistic bright vibe o...
7.5
8
8
8
7.88

George Takla
Interior Design Manager
at NAGA
7
8
7
8.5
7.63

Johann Matthysen
Founder
at Matthysen
A visionary leap for fast-food reta...
7
8
7
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7.5
Designer
Client
McDonald`s
Floor area
289 ㎡
Completion
2025
Surfaces
Furniture
Lighting
Wall Covering
Surfaces
Rockfon ceiling tile
Bespoke products
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