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The Grand Palace is the most rare monument of Russian architecture of Peter the Great's times. Its view was not probably changed for more, than 250 years of existing. The architects, working in the palace and replacing each other changed only the inner decoration of the interiors according to the wish of their owners, influenced by time and own taste. The Palace was constructed by the architects M.Fontana and G.Schoedel in 1710-1727-s . According the contemporaries evidence it was the most grandeur construction in the suburbs of St.-Petersburg. Standing on the high coast terrace, his main facade, facing the Sea, the Palace is the compositional centre of the whole ensemble.

It has two floors in the central part and is completed with two eight-facets expressive silhouette pavilions - Japanese from the East and Church - from the West. It impressed its contemporaries with its grandiose and splendour, multiplex architectural shapes, non-usual harmony of the whole composition. The Palace facades length, the strict architectural bounding and plastic expressiveness stressed the monumentality and the festive character of the whole construction. The canal, made along the central axis of the palace, connected it with the Sea. The similar composition, characteristic for all the cottages of the first quarter of the XVIII century, was the symbol of the Russian marine power. There was the regular park with the flower-gardens, bouquets, fountains and alleys, decorated with sculpture in front of the Palace.

The ensemble formation lasted during the whole XVIII century. The most talented architectures M.Zemtsov, B.-F.Rastrelli, A.Rinaldi and many Russian craftsmen and workers made their contribution into this Place creation. In the 50-s of the XVIII century the Picture House and Pomerants Hothouse (non-existing now) were built and the decoration works in the yard in front of the Palace Southern part were completed. The Picture House is the one-floor structure with the attic. Its architecture is modest and expressive at the same time. Its magnificent proportions, plastic forms harmony, variety of the decoration provide the solitude and the completed appearance. The large collection of the canvases was placed in the Picture House, more than 300. It was the first collection of the wesstern painting art. Besides, the library was situated there. Thus, it defined the valuability of the Picture House as of the one of the first Russian museums.