In 1819 Catherine II of Russia commissioned Giacomo Quarenghi, a Neoclassical architect from Italy, to design a huge trade centre along the east side of Red Square. The existing structure was built to replace the previous trading rows that had been designed by Joseph Bove after the 1812 Fire of Moscow. Contained more than 1200 shops – once filled with Soviet-era goods of mediocre quality, it is now a mall with international labels and hyper-expensive boutiques. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s highly recommended you go inside and look at the architecture. – With the façade extending for 242m along the eastern side of Red Square, the Upper Trading Rows were built between 1890’s. The trapezoidal building features an interesting combination of elements of Russian medieval architecture and a steel framework and glass roof, a similar style to the great 19th-century railway stations of London. – The glass-​roofed design made the building unique at the time of construction. The roof, the diameter of which is 14m, looks light, but it is a firm construction made of more than 50,000 metal pods 743t, capable of supporting snowfall accumulation. Illumination is provided by huge arched skylights of iron and glass, each weighing some 740t and containing in excess of 20,000 panes of glass. The facade is divided into several horizontal tiers, lined with red Finnish granite, Tarusa marble, and limestone. Each arcade is on three levels, linked by walkways of reinforced concrete.