facade

The facade is the exterior face of a building, the primary visible surface that defines its external appearance. It serves as the interface between interior spaces and the outside environment, and it plays a key role in shaping the building’s identity, climate response, and interaction with the surrounding streetscape.

The term façade comes from French façades, ultimately from Latin facies meaning face. In architectural usage, it refers to the design of the building’s front or principal exterior surface, though in practice it may encompass multiple façades around a structure.

Façades can be load-bearing masonry or framed skins with non-structural cladding. Modern practice often uses curtain walls, glass, metal panels, stone or brick veneers, and composite materials. Ventilated and double-skin facades are used for thermal performance and daylight control.

Beyond aesthetics, façades provide weather protection, thermal insulation, acoustic control, water management, and fire safety. They must accommodate openings for doors and windows, integrate with building services, and consider maintenance, durability, and regulatory requirements.

Façades reflect architectural styles and eras, from classical colonnades to Renaissance symmetry, to modernist glass envelopes. In urban design, they influence skylines and streetscapes. Preservation and restoration of historic façades are common in conservation practice, while new façades emphasize energy efficiency and identity.