Helsinki to preserve historic cable reel kiosk amid construction of new residential area

A protected 1920s cable reel-shaped kiosk in Helsinki will remain standing as the surrounding Teboil service station is demolished to make way for new apartment buildings, city officials confirmed Wednesday.

Helsinki City Council approved a zoning plan for the Koroistentie 10 and Tilkanmäki area, allowing construction of seven residential buildings—including six-storey apartment blocks—along Mannerheimintie, according to a report by Finnish broadcaster Yle. The project aims to create an urban-style block with ground-floor commercial spaces.

The distinctive round kiosk, built in 1928 to resemble a wooden cable reel, currently operates as a pastry shop selling piirakka (Finnish pastries). Under the new heritage protection order, the structure may stay in its current location at the corner of Koroistentie and Mannerheimintie or be relocated to a quieter spot to reduce noise and improve the streetscape.

“The new protection order enables moving the cable reel kiosk to a less noisy location,” said city architect Leena Paavilainen. She noted that the local Ruskeasuo Society has long advocated for relocation, though the move remains optional. “The kiosk can also stay where it is, and the new construction will actually improve its surroundings,” Paavilainen added.

Plans call for transforming the adjacent street area into a plaza with large trees. At least one of the new building’s commercial units must accommodate a restaurant. The nearby Tilkanmäki hill, a popular sledding spot, will be preserved as parkland.

The Teboil service station, operational since the 1960s, must be demolished by late summer. The tenant’s lease expires at the end of May, with three months allocated for demolition. If no appeals are filed during the review period, construction can begin under the approved plan.

Helsinki has several similar cable reel kiosks, including another pastry shop on Unioninkatu in Kaisaniemi. The structures were originally built as electrical distribution points before being repurposed for retail.