A false facade—often referred to as a false front, screen wall, or flying facade—is an architectural wall constructed to disguise or alter the true structural characteristics, scale, or roofline of a building. Historically utilized on Old West commercial storefronts to project an image of grand scale and urban permanence, false facades are also employed in modern urban preservation projects (known as facadism) to maintain historical streetscapes while allowing the complete internal modernization of underlying structures.