facade

facade (fusäd') [key], exterior face or wall of a building. The term implies ordered placement of its openings and other features and thus seems inapplicable to a wall without design. Any freestanding structure may have four or more facades, designated by their orientation (e.g., north facade); a building flanked by other buildings on either side generally has only a front and a rear facade. In medieval churches the chief facade is that of the building's west end, which contains the principal entrance portals.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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