Historic Kotka building owned by noble family for five generations converted into apartments

A 130-year-old landmark building in Kotka, long owned by the von der Pahlen noble family, is being renovated to transform former offices into high-end rental apartments, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The pink Stellan talo (Stella House), located on Kotka’s market square, has remained in the same family for five generations. While the building is familiar to locals, few realise it remains privately owned. The Kymenlaakso Museum describes it as architecturally rare and culturally significant for the city, reflecting Kotka’s early development.

The latest renovation follows a façade restoration completed a few years ago. Now, the owners are converting the third floor—previously used as offices—into five new apartments, returning the space to its original residential purpose. Two apartments are already finished, with the rest due for completion this year.

“It’s the right time to convert these offices back into homes,” said family member William von der Pahlen. Demand has been strong, with tenants found through personal networks—no public marketing was needed.

The apartments retain historic details like original ceiling mouldings, cornices, and interior doors, some over a century old. The largest unit spans 150 sq m, while another under construction measures 98 sq m. High ceilings and grand windows facing the square flood the spaces with natural light.

Challenges included missing modern technical plans, forcing careful adaptation of plumbing, electrical, and structural work. The ground floor, always commercial, remains fully leased despite economic uncertainty, housing a furniture store, café, kiosk, and other businesses.

Built in 1896 in the Neo-Renaissance style, Stellan talo was Kotka’s first stone residential and commercial building, predating the city’s shift from wood to masonry construction. Designed by the firm Grahn, Hedman & Wasastjerna—also behind the now-demolished Kotka Market Hall—it initially housed the city’s financial chamber and council hall for nearly 40 years. The last municipal tenant, the city’s building planning office, relocated just a few years ago.

The von der Pahlen family’s connection began when Fredrik Thuring, a jurist and businessman with a passion for architecture, acquired the property in the late 19th or early 20th century. William von der Pahlen, the fifth-generation owner, now oversees its latest transformation.