For other uses, see Facade (disambiguation). Carlo Maderno's monumental façade of Saint Peter's basilica in Vatican City. A façade (/fəˈsɑːd/) is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. It is a foreign loan word from the French façade, which means frontage or face. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building.