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The building of the Great Hermitage was built from 1771-1787 at the behest of Catherine II and was intended to house the palace art collections and library. Yury Veldten designed the three-storey building in such a way that it naturally completed the existing palace ensemble. The strictness and simplicity of the appearance of the Great Hermitge reflected the spirit of 18th century Classicism. The facade combines rhythms of horizontal articulation and vertical window openings. In 1792 Giacomo Quarengi added a new wing to the Great Hermitage to house the Raphael Loggias - a very close replica of the famous gallery in the papal palace in the Vatican. A passage connected the new building with the Northern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage, while an arch over the Winter Canal (Zimnaya Kanavka) connected it with the Theatre.