In a flat panel display system including an enclosing housing structure having opposed front and back panels connected together by a plurality of hermetically sealed sidewall panels, which structure requires a subatmospheric or evacuated environment for the performance of the components contained therein resulting in the production of undesirable stresses in the opposed panels due to the forces generated by atmospheric pressure, the sidewall panels are formed with oblique panel portions lying skew to the opposed front and back panels and extending outwardly of the housing intermediate said opposed panels, and thereby reduce the maximum stresses generated in such front and back panels to within acceptable limits. The skew panels may be formed of glass and be of uniform thickness along their extent, or may be contoured so as to taper in thickness toward a center portion intermediate the front and back panels. In addition, the skew sidewall panels may be formed as a single unitary wall or as a plurality of panels sealed together intermediate the fornt and back panels.