Modulars vs. Classic Town

[WesternOutlaw]

With my recent addition of Cafe Corner, I'm really struggling with integrating it within my Classic-style town.

It got me thinking, are there some tips that can help integrate new City modulars with classic style buildings, an issue that most town builders are faced with?

I had a couple of thoughts on the issue that I may try:

- Place the modular set(s) in the center of the town as a focal point and build the rest of the town around the center

- Separate the modular with some sort of "natural" break, like a park or forest.

What else?

What else can help blend/integrate modulars within your existing tabletown?

Share your thoughts

[Rick]

Yes, it's probably a good idea to make sure that the open backs of the classic town sets are on the edge of the town and the closed backs of some classic town sets and the modular sets are in the center. Also ensure that the height of the classic town sets you place near the modular buildings come somewhat close to the modular sets, i.e. at least two stories high. I think the Town Plan cinema and the 'house-being-constructed' of the 2009 City line would go relatively well with the modulars. Maybe also Main Street and City Corner.

For reference, there is a thread about whether modular and classic town go together well: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=27580

[prateek]

I would put the modular in the core of your town, like a downtown and then put classic town around it for suburbs and what not

[Matn]

I'm also having thoughts about this lately. I am becoming more and more interested in the classic Town houses, they are just marvelous. I always thought that when I have my own city it will be filled with official LEGO Modular houses and my modular MOCs. But classic sets are to beautiful to not be displayed, so I have to think of a good way to combine all the official sets. (And perhaps some MOCs, I'm also not sure of mixing MOCs in my future town. )

A little park sounds actually a good idea for separating the two styles. Then you could think that it's a little town (classic houses) next to the big part of city?

[Zorbas]

This is indeed a very difficult situation to deal with.

I don't own any of the Modular Buildings (yet -I think... ) and the reason is exactly this one. Although that they look great I still think that they will not blend well with my Classic Town sets and my newer sets that are close to classic size.

A good solution in my opinion is to start a row of buldings with the modulars, then move on with Creator houses like the 4954 which is something in the middle when it comes to size and finally add a building like the latest Police Headquarters. From there, adding Classic Town buildings is easier. In that way, the height difference won't be too noticeable and the layout will be more balanced to the eye.

I've also found a very interesting section in the 10184 Town Plan review and how it blends with the Modular Buildings. Check it here.

Again, take into consideration that I don't own any of the Modulars and these are just simple thoughts of what I have in mind.

[Svelte]

Zorbas makes some good points, and thanks for the link to that previous discussion, Rick

The detailed central business district with the modular line phased to older style, open-backed houses (the 'burbs!) makes the most sense to me. Having the Creator houses in the middle to 'mediate' the visual difference is a great idea.

Personally, I find the problem is 10184. It's hyper-detailed, like the modular houses, and in rare colours, but open-backed and only on 16 wide baseplates. The Creator houses, while simpler in style, are all enclosed and on 32x baseplates. The cinema and town hall look teensy and skinny compared to these McMansions! The 32x32 (with cutout corner) retro garage is probably the easiest to integrate into such a layout.

If I was displaying this as a tabletown, I'd be tempted to buy another 10184 and bulk out the cinema and Town Hall with the extra parts to make them look more consistent.

[muffinman42]

im planing to mainly custom build mine, ide suggest spliting them into two areas, like haveing the town center and des-res area and then the more villagey subberbs farther out, this helps to give trains destinations instead of just going round and round if you run them.

[Klaus-Dieter]

That's a great and very interesting topic, TheBrickster!

You suppoably do already know my opition towards CC styled buildings and mixing these buildings with regular City buildings.

Nevertheless if you necessarily want to mix them:

Mixing the CC styled buildings with the awesome buildings of the brilliant 10188 Town Plan set would perhaps work since I think that they look very similar in architecture and are even bigger than the other regular City buildings til this summer. Apart from that I must really say that I don't think that CC styled buildings will look good next to regular City buildings.

Because of this I'd advise you to build up a whole small district which only CC styled buildings, perhaps a street in between, lots of trees (at the best brick-built) and other accessory (like e. g. benchs, dustbins, ...). There could be a park in front of the CC styled buildings - and on the other side of the park there you then could place the regular City sets. I think that this would be the best compromise since you would have CC styled as well as regular City sets in one and the same layout but not to close that you immediately detect the differences of those buildings.

I hope I could help.

Klaus-Dieter

[Davey]

If I was displaying this as a tabletown, I'd be tempted to buy another 10184 and bulk out the cinema and Town Hall with the extra parts to make them look more consistent.

This is exactly the direction we have taken. I like to take the open-back 'Classic Town' sets and then enclose them to look more like the modular standard. Stacy used two of the Town Plan sets to make a nice modern looking enclosed cinema. I recently rebuilt #6378 Service Station into a larger set that covers two 32x32 baseplates. It still maintains the 'Classic Town' look and feel, but fits in better with the newer sets. I don't have any real good pictures of it right now, but if you search through the Brickworld 2009 photos, you might find a couple.

I do, however, like the idea of using the modular buildings at the center of the layout and then having open-backed buildings in the 'suburbs'. If you face them toward the crowd, you could build very detailed interiors that would give viewers more to look at.

-Dave

[Vaders_son]

Nice topic, that's a problem I've been thinking about a bit myself over the last couple of weeks. Since I started buying City sets as well as the Modular sets to be precise

As I have bought the Eiffel Tower too and will include it into my City layout as the Centerpiece I want to:

1. Have the Eiffeltower in the center of my city.

2. Put the Modulars and big buildings (MOCs?) around the Eiffeltower to form a City Center. Therefore

a) The Eiffel Tower would be seperated by a large street around it, with loads of trees along the street.

b) The Eiffel Tower will be raise several bricks high to prevent it from looking too small compared to the modulars.

3. From the City Center the smaller buildings will form suburbs, in the directions of

a) The mountain behind the City to come

b) The beach and ocean in front of the City to be created.

The beach and ocean will give you some possibilities playing with the ground your houses stand on.

For example you could build a rocky coastline that is several bricks high (towards the mountainrange) - put the houses up there will possibly divert from the big difference in size they and the modular buildings have.

Other ideas like adding parks and stuff are great too, not only to keep the modulars and other sets somewhat apart but every city that has some green in it looks better than without imo.

Benny

[aawsum]

I've also found a very interesting section in the 10184 Town Plan review and how it blends with the Modular Buildings. Check it here.

This is a nice setting, I think it really shows that is very good to do to mix the different styles together. I think it is just like in every city where new, old and classic is mixed.

The modular buidling can stand alone, or next to eachother, and even next to your own build MOC of a modern house or office building.

I a good developed layout there are several opportunities, it is just up to your imagination ...

[Tom Bricks]

I had a similar problem and ended up making two separate layouts, one with the town plan buildings, all the modular buildings, and some modular MOCs. The other one uses road baseplates and classic buildings. I like the separation because I use only classic smilies in the classic part and newer minifigs in the modular one. This also allows me the have basically two town layouts so the common buildings in sets like hotels and restaurants arnt too common in either. My advice would basically be to split the layout so that everything works better together.

[Rick]

I had a similar problem and ended up making two separate layouts, one with the town plan buildings, all the modular buildings, and some modular MOCs. The other one uses road baseplates and classic buildings. I like the separation because I use only classic smilies in the classic part and newer minifigs in the modular one. This also allows me the have basically two town layouts so the common buildings in sets like hotels and restaurants arnt too common in either. My advice would basically be to split the layout so that everything works better together.

... and have a train connect the two towns, so the classic smileys can go look at the freaks in modern town.

[black painter]

You could always rebuild the newer buildings in the style of the older. It could be a big undertaking but would look good.

[Svelte]

I'm bumping this topic as I just saw this beautifully integrated layout on brickshelf - I'd post the pic but it's way too large (3000x2000 pixels plus).

It manages to combine all the modular sets (including the new Fire Brigade), 10184 Town Plan, 7641 City Corner and even a 10194 Emerald Night and it all looks amazing and well-balanced. I think the addition of a park as an open space really lets all the detailed sets breathe nicely.

[Rick]

That's from an EB member: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?...st&p=575915

I agree with what you've said... it looks really nice.

[Svelte]

I wasn't sure... the name looked familiar

Thanks for the link to the original topic.

[Cavannus]

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?...c=27580&hl=

Answer: it depends on what you put close to what... ;)

[blueandwhite]

Classic Town buildings don't really match up that well with the modular sets. Then again; I don't think they are supposed to. The modular town plan is really aimed at adult collectors and builders who work on a larger scale. They simply don't mesh well with the majority of classic buildings. While you can combine the two; the match isn't always going to be asthetically pleasing. For set collectors, I would almost suggest that you treat the two lines as two separate themes. Conversely, a central area that is exclusively modular buildings may look okay with smaller Classic Town buildings scattered about the parimeter. This is a tricky issue simply because the two lines are so different. It's like two great flavours of ice-cream that just don't seem right together.

[marvinblue]

My City looks like this and this. I'm seperating on the basis of spreading the Emergency Services out evenly with residential and a Downtown area with Modular. When I get 10197, it will go next to GG as a first response to Downtown. This way it sort of keeps the themes and buildings looking consistent. I would imagine a Downtown area to have services like entertainment and shopping combined with residential, then slowly branching out from there. That's why 7633 is getting built where it is and 7641 will be placed next to it. You then have a small shopping strip and transportation in the Downtown area, slowly changing it to more modern architecture.

That's my two cents anyway!!!

[Piranha]

Good topic!

I find that I never had this problem, because I don't own enough at one time or have them built

However this also reminds me of a similar problem. LEGO cars throughout the years.

They are all different, much like cars are today. However the only problem is the scale and size and details

In the future I would love to set a table town with a train running through it. Until then I continue adding sets that can be used in such a town and a huge need is houses. The creator houses are fine but some city ones would be perfect.