facade

The exterior face or elevation of a building. Every building has a facade, simply by virtue of having an outside; but the term is particularly associated with consciously designed, overtly formal, aesthetic qualities. The term derives from Italian facciata, for the front of a building.

A facade (or façade) (IPA: [fəˈsɑd]) is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear.

In architecture, the facade of a building is often the most important from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building.

On a movie set, many of the buildings are only facades, which are far cheaper than actual buildings, and not subject to building codes. These are simply held up with supports from behind, and sometimes have boxes for actors and actresses to step in and out of from the front if necessary for a scene.