Steve,The only time I ever saw a McDonalds that had made an attempt to blend into the local architecture was in Salzburg, Austria some years ago, where they had made the golden arch sign with brass lettering on a polished wood background. I assume the local authorities forced them into this
Just reading down this topic and Nisakiman's pertinent observations, if my memory serves me correctly the dreaded McD you refer to in Salzberg was in fact the house where Mozart was born and yes the local authority were quite strict re planning permission according to the tour guide.