New renderings show upcoming redesign of Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s

The first renditions of the redesign of River North’s famed Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s were released Tuesday.

Gone are iconic golden arches and pop music nostalgia, which will be replaced with a sleek, modern design that will include floor-to-ceiling windows, rooftop solar panels and several dozen trees outside the building.

Construction is expected to be completed this spring.

“This re-imagined location reflects our global commitment to elevate the customer experience through more modern restaurant designs and conveniences and positively impact our local communities and planet,” McDonald’s U.S. President Chris Kempczinski said in a statement.

Chicago-based architecture firm Ross Barney was contracted for the redesign of the 19,000-square-foot restaurant.

“Designing for McDonald’s is designing for America,” Design Principal Carol Ross Barney said in the statement. We wanted to create a space that is authentic, light-filled and constructed of natural materials.”

In 2016, McDonald’s announced it would be relocating its corporate headquarters from west suburban Oak Brook to the site of the former Harpo Studios in Chicago’s West Loop.