When a brick warehouse building was built at Satamatie 6 in 1914, it was intended to be used as a horse stable. At that time, Lappeenranta was still a small port town with a population of just under 3,000. On windy days, the waters of Lake Saimaa could splash almost on the builders, as the shoreline was tens of meters closer to the fortress than it is today.
Typical drawings of a horse stable from the drawing collections of the National Archives. The same type, although not exactly this drawing, was probably also followed by the builders of Satamatie 6.
Satamatie 6 in 1979. Photo: Lappeenranta Museums / Rinno Soile
The red brick building follows the standard model for garrison buildings. Memories of the past can still be seen near the entrance to the café, as one of the bricks has the names Elli and Lyydia engraved on it. Apparently, these are workers from the brick factory, as the mark was made when the brick was still soft.
Elli and Lyydia's signature from over a hundred years ago.
The stable-like purpose is still visible at Satamatie 6. Pillars and windows divide the building according to the widths of the stalls. There is an empty space in the middle of the building, along which the horses have walked to their places. Originally, the entrances were on the sides of the end of the building. The old wooden doors are still in place, they have been bricked up on the inside.
When the building was later put to other use, double doors were installed at the ends of the house.
Mill, car repair shop, foundry, warehouse
Satamatie 6 in 2019. Photo: Arttu Muukkonen
There is no exact information about the year the stables ended, but apparently sometime in the 1920s the stables began to be used as a warehouse. The warehouse-like use is still visible in the insulation of the false ceiling, which is very thin. The situation is completely different, for example, in the adjacent building, built as a sniper regiment, at Satamatie 4, where the restaurant Wanha Makasiini is now located.
After the wars, Satamatie 6 was briefly a mill. At least until the 1970s, the building served as a car repair shop, and in the late 1970s, the premises housed a pontoon foundry. Pontoons were needed when the port area was being improved and expanded. As a reminder of those times, our café still has seating partly on rails, and a long steel beam can be seen on the ceiling at the entrance.
The rails running through the café are reminiscent of a pontoon foundry.
The building was probably used as a warehouse for the last decades of the 20th century. New uses and opening of doors have been planned throughout the 2000s.
Plans and drawings have been made for both the sauna and the restaurant, but the space has begun to take shape as it is today, when Lehmus Roastery, which was looking for a location, rented a 40-square-meter corner in the warehouse in the spring of 2016. In addition to the rails, the past is visible in the electrical panels, which have been practically everywhere in the building, which was used for small industries.
There is enough electricity in the house, but for example, a fixed internet connection has not been installed in the warehouse building over the years, so even now the house operates using mobile connections.
Eventually a roastery and café
Eija Johansson, a gardener from Greenhome, is responsible for the praised green interior of Satamatie.
The coffee roastery was founded in 2016, the café opened its doors in the summer of 2017. In the summer of 2018, the café received a liquor license and the terrace also underwent a facelift. Satamatie is now known as the city's best café (reigning champion in 2018), as well as a gig venue, event center and a very warm coffee shop where pets are also welcome.
Coffees are prepared at Satamatie using various hand extraction methods.
Stand-up gigs and diary clubs, among other things, have filled Satamatie.
Satamatie also sells high-quality food, postcards and other nice and independent products from local producers, including Hito Hyvää products that are not available elsewhere.
Behind the café is Lehmus Roastery, which has been twice voted the best roaster in Finland. The roaster currently produces almost 40,000 kilos of coffee per year for all over Finland. The café serves tens of thousands of cups of coffee each year with beautiful views of Lake Saimaa.
There are no changes coming to the area in the near future, as the zoning still follows the so-called Emperor's plan from 1892.
Welcome to visit!