The building was constructed in 1902–1904 by the leading Petersburg architect of the time, Pavel Suzor, for the Russian headquarters of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.

The first land records date back to the 1730s when the Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered that her royal stables be relocated there, which were previously situated next to the Winter Palace.

[1][2][3][4] In 1900 the Singer Company bought lands in Podolsk to open its production centre there; it planned to expand its business not only into the Russian market but further to the east: to Turkey, Persia, China, and Japan.

The company looked for a presentable headquarters so soon a piece of land on the most active business street in the Russian capital was chosen and bought for an enormous sum of money, more than 1 million roubles.

[2] To fully make use of the land, Suzor projected a two-winged six-storey house with two atriums covered by a glass ceiling.

Due to the metal frame with brick layers and cement casting, the construction was strong enough to make the outer walls nonstructural and cut two-storey windows.

The dome was designed to support the existing composition of the neighborhood including Saint Petersburg City Duma and the Church of the Savior on Blood.

Apart from heating, ventilation, canalization, and water supply, he created a special system to melt the ice on the roof in cold seasons.

[6] The luxurious interiors were designed in Art Nouveau style and richly decorated with lots of carrara marble, red wood, gilding, mosaics, and stained glass windows.

[2][4] In 1999 all companies were moved out and the building was rented to Andrei Isaev's St Petersburg Real Estate Agency for 49 years.

When it was rented to Isaev, the contract included an encumbrance of a complete restoration made in accordance with the Committee for State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments [ru].

[2][13][14] During the reconstruction, all structural elements of the building were changed to reinforced concrete, and the foundation was strengthened with 2500 new piles and multiple layers of waterproofing.

Based on historical images, the interiors were reconstructed with the original design, including floor mosaics, marble stairs and Venetian stucco on the walls.