Svelte

Amazing review, Zorbas - your pics really are stunning Now that this is finally available on S@H, and soon in stores, I'm really looking forward to it. The Farm subtheme was truly excellent last year so I'm glad to see it continuing in some form with this set and the forthcoming Impulse, and who could resist those delicious little barrel o' bacons wandering around one's layout? Some interesting techniques in this set, and the tractor is very impressive. Thanks!

Amazing work as usual! If I had to quibble, I think the roof section in bley is too similar in colour to the detailing on the ground floor, and for some reason the use of 1x1 tan round plates looks a little gappy under the topmost roof slopes. But this is indeed a fantastically detailed building at an impressive scale, and bustling with life and activity!

This is indeed very nice! The dark, muted tones add to the brooding, noirish atmosphere and I think the height is just about perfect. It looks solid and fortified. The grills on the windows are a great touch and you do indeed get a sense that this is a 'dangerous' part of town. Lovely work!

I imagine that's the normal LEGO price with an extra TRU $10 on top, which would price it the same as the City Construction Site or Airport (as Night City Dream says). The Garage was $AUD140 too, so it will be interesting to see what they can squeeze in public transport wise for that price range/ piece count. Since we're already getting a Train Station, I don't know how much of a building there could be. Public transport interchanges tend to be quite big and complex but I doubt that will be LEGO's focus for this set. It could be like the Construction Site, with a medium-size building and a range of different vehicles to go with it. I wouldn't mind another bus, but as always, it depends on the final set

Yays! The effect of 'OMG! OMG!' still lives on in my vernacular, so I look forward to more Potter-comic shenanigans

Thanks for your comments! White isn't my favourite colour for buildings, either, but it was appropriate for this MOC. The original building has a stucco facade which creates shading and texture but I have yet to find a LEGO brick that can substitute for 'stucco' I do think it captures the essentials of the Spanish Revival style quite well. I've been looking at a few buildings in this area to turn into their LEGO counterparts and as a starting point this seemed like a good balance between a unique and interesting design and available parts My style tends to end up cartoony and a bit exaggerated, so this is a step in a more 'realistic' direction but it still feels 'Svelte-ish' to me. The windows are actually very true to the building's design - shame I lost all the pix! The 'windows' above the courtyard are doors with teensy narrow little balconies on the original, but to make them doors on this creation would have pushed up the height and made the curved roof sit too high above the rest of the building. I am quite pleased with the red tile roof. It's quite sturdy too, which is something I always aim for in MOCs WalrusKeeper, the hipster torso is Snake Oiler's from the Speed Racer set from 2008. Sieggy, YES I AM TRYING TO MAKE YOU CRY! That, or move to Sydney Rick, the reason for the 'boring' comments is that I did complain when I was making this that it was kind of boring. I think the landscaping helps give it a bit of pop, but I'm quite happy with it anyway, if only (as Shadows says) it is a bit different in style from many other Town MOCs.

A Modular Building style MOC based on a Spanish Colonial Revival apartment block in King's Cross, Sydney. Although the original is in a dense urban environment, I've added some modular park extensions to allow the apartment complex to breathe in this display. I will add a reference pic and some extra shots of the building combined with modular sets very soon! There's also a PF light-up brick included but I haven't got a nice shot of that yet All pics are links to high-res versions on flickr. Sydney's King's Cross & Potts Point suburbs are famously filled with beautiful Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings constructed in the early 20th Century. This creation is based on a real building, but I've added some modular street greenery to add a touch of colour. I've also added some Bohemian inhabitants that may not look out of place in the famously seedy inhabitants of the Cross. There are six apartments in this complex. Entry is through the main wrought-iron gate through to a walled courtyard studded with pot-plants. A decorative curved roof is a whimsical but non-functional addition. Closer view of the apartment complex itself. Just back from the famous Department Store with some undoubtedly luxe purchase, this blonde ingenue meets her Lothario husband out on the pavement. She doesn't ask too many questions about his always-close 'associate'. Business partner? Bodyguard? Best not to enquire too closely. The decoratively-tiled roof is a vision in dark red. The apartments overlook the upper part of the inner courtyard, which is studded with creeping vines, cactus and flowers. The greenery continues down to ground level. Behind the door is the foyer of the apartment building. Close-up of roof and one wing of the apartment complex. On the other side of the building, a hipster chick stops to chat with a preening sunbather. "Hey babe - wanna rub some suntan lotion on my chest?" "Sorry - my mother told me never to get within 6 feet of a man wearing gold pants." The large tree is producing fragrant blooms at this time of year. Low-angle close-up. "Hey - I'm still looking for someone to rub suntan-lotion onto my chest!" Overhead view. The standalone apartment complex can be aligned with other buildings following the Modular Standard - pics coming soon! Park sections are also modular and can be recombined. Praise be to the dark brown cylinder piece in Woody's Round Up! Update 8 March: here are the promised reference pix The building is almost adjacent to the famous Wayside Chapel in King's Cross Full view showing recessed courtyard and gate. View showing roof tiles. Courtyard detail.

I haven't yet seen any suitable candidates

If it's the Tantive, I'd hold out for the July sales or even get it from starwarshop.com $345 is too much!

Does that include S@H Exclusives, I wonder? I should add LEGO customer service is pretty good and when I've felt annoyed enough to complain about the poor state of the boxes, they have refunded the shipping amount. You're still left with damaged goods but it's something.

Shadows is right to draw a distinction between North American shipping and 'Rest of World' as these seem to be packed differently. I think that US is worse for shipping sets in ridiculously large boxes with minimal packing so they do end up damaged. I'm Sydney-based and I've had mixed experiences with shipping, and I place orders quite regularly. I would say that it is much more likely than not that boxes arrive with some damage, ranging in the spectrum from minor box creasing (very common) to complete crushing of sets (uncommon but yes, it's happened to me). 2009 seemed particularly bad for me, with one order missing an item completely, another big order that failed to arrive (although I was eventually refunded) and an expensive order (a Dropship, MMV and KCS) that arrived where the latter 2 box were completely squashed and the first damaged. If you like MISB, you're better off waiting til it arrives in stores here and picking out a fresh piece for yourself Shadows makes a good point that the kind of sets you buy can make a difference in the order, but so also does number of sets and type of shipping. Sets warehoused at LEGO's distribution centre come tightly packed in their own factory cardboard boxes, and if you order enough, the distribution centre doesn't usually open these and redistribute. Eg, if you want a MISB 10185 Green Grocer, for example, you're better off buying 2 as that's how many are factory-packed together, and this will probably be put inside the regular (but more delicate) shipping box. Choosing Express shipping is more pricey but within Australia DHL won't dump it through the ordinary Australia Post system (as the courier company does for standard shipping) and is more likely to arrive in better condition.

I don't know if we want to waste a torch. Who knows if we will need it if we must plumb further subterranean depths? I like Samantha's idea. A flash should be revealing.

No UK price rants in this review, thanks! Do that in the other thread I also think your question would be better directed to LEGO Customer Service. I'm not saying you'll get any kind of answer, but it's still better directed there

Interesting. I suspect that's partly the 'immediate gratification' aspect since it does take a while to do all the tiling, so the early stage of the build seems longer than it otherwise might when you start adding walls and so on. Using a tan baseplate for the 10211 is obviously a better solution than having a grass/ concrete floor to a department store I have to finish my own next modular-style house first as seen in the teaser thumbnail below I was waylaid by the earlier-than-anticipated arrival of the Emporium. Thanks for all your comments, everyone! It does take a while to put together these reviews (not to mention the sets themselves!) so it's always great to be appreciated

Yes; I'm sure it's only temporary.

Yes; I suspect this is the case. Still, it does provide a tantalising glimpse of a detail you'd otherwise probably miss on the front of the box. Sometimes it's like a David Attenborough documentary in here. Although, I'd heard the Walrus had at least one rubdown this week Thanks Mr Fang! A very interesting point about the balance between exterior and interior, but I think that Grand Emporium has the mix exactly right. The exterior is beautiful and there's just enough in the interior to satisfy as well as inspire you to add your own details. The little dark red plinths that litter the set are obviously templates for you to add extras and furnish them with consumer goods yourself! As for the exterior not being detailed... I disagree! Indeed, although the pieces are differen to the Green Grocer, the approach is actually much the same - eg, the extensive use of log and grill bricks provide a level of surface texture to the upper floors. The upper inside of the roof arches is a parts bonanza in itself. Not to mention the detail inherent in the choice of colours, such as the use of all those amazing dark green windows instead of more standard white or black. And indeed, the whole of the ground floor exterior with those dark tan and bley curved brick walls and the tilework is probably one of the most detailed Modular ground floors - and IMO, the most beautiful. Some people want everything! Really, there's no room. I think as has been suggested elsewhere, the best would be to buy 2 and knock out the middle walls if you insist on having them side by side.

Wise Rick is wise. I love the CT blogged graphic! And a great choice of pic for the blog as well. Thanks! It's always a pleasure to have the great Arnold T Blumberg stop in and comment on my review Not many Saturdays now, is it?

Ho-ho-ho, indeed! I could listen to Zundar's patronising yet mellifluous tones all day Adorable!

Thanks for your comments, SESS! It looks like you arrived out of your Dark Ages with a (cannon) blast! Welcome to Eurobricks and do look around the Pirates forum - I am sure there is much for you to enjoy!

It's the perfect sales model!

Part 4: The build - Second Floor The parts! More than the last section, as this includes the roof. The 2 smokey 12 wide windows of hugedom, 22 Prince of Persia arches in white, and 3 bley parts I've never seen before. A lonely window washer. How he maintains a smile on his face during his endless hours dangled above the street is beyond me. Is it happiness? Is it crystal meth? Only his dealer knows for sure. The build is similar to Part 2, but with a different arrangement of display plinths. Is it repetitive? Maybe a little, but it didn't bother me. It's not like it was super-complicated like the 10196 Grand Carousel. So cute! The scooter rocks, the mini Creator house is brilliant, and the balls are... balls. As I said, you could add any existing toys from the 10199 Winter Toy Shop. So beautiful! Check out the instructions to see exactly how this is put together, but it's mainly little clips and 1x2 trans plates arrange around one of those plates with 8 side arms (and one more trans-clear headlight ). Adorable genius! And it looks amazing in position, too. The finished second floor - not too different from the first, except missing the flagpoles. Next up, we start the roof. The base of the roof is slightly different to the other floors, to allow room for the skylight. The two giant windscreens sit next to each other and are held in place by clip plates at the edges. These windscreens are an interesting choice of piece for LEGO to revive, appearing as they do in only 3 sets in the late 90s - will we see it in some other upcoming set? Lots of 1x3 tiles for your enjoyment, 1x3 tile aficionados. It is a blessing how parts-friendly these sets are! Jamie makes sure to give us multiples of all the good stuff The edging is solidly built up with inverse slopes and 1x1 round bricks, too. Organic and beautiful detail on the underside of the roof. The floodlight part of the billboard assemblage. The billboard makes good use of 1x3 tiles in yellow to give a smooth (yet a little terrifying) rendition of a fig face. The gift-wrapped present is attached by the back of a headlight brick to a 2x2 dark tan jumper tile. I smell a 'Customise your 10211 Billboard' competition in the future! The completed roof: All the layers added. I couldn't resist another closeup of the chandelier through the roof, although honestly the logic of having a chandelier below a skylight does seem a little odd to me The detailed interior: Our meth-loving friend on his window-washing apparatus. He even takes a cup up with him! Surely that violates health and safety legislation? What if it fell and hit someone? Tssk! Sparse parts of spare. Part 5: Finished Model - The Grand Emporium! And here we have the finished building, in all its lustrous beauty. A true marriage of art and commerce! Side elevation: Low angle looking up, also showing the window washer. If I was a fig I'd be pretty impressed too You can see here how the white arches really add another level of decorative delight. Like real retail buildings, the sides are pretty non-descript. So much tan! The tan is a lot warmer than the mainly-bley walls of Fire Brigade. And finally, my own Department Store meets the Grand Emporium! It's a marriage of minds The Department Store wins on height - at least until I get a few extra floors for the Grand Emporium Conclusion Let's face it, like those special annual events such as Christmas or a birthday, the release of a new Modular House is to be ignored at your own peril, so you can already guess I'm going to tell you to buy this set! You can already get a feel for parts/ value/ playability from the review (posing the figs in compromising positions is hours of entertainment in itself!). - The use of a 32x32 baseplate makes moving the thing around easier than the potential 'lift and separate' effect you get with the other Modulars - can we keep this in future? - The colour scheme is a lot lighter and warmer - and more inviting - than its predecessors. Even Green Grocer feels 'darker' with the black/ bley roof. All it lacks is a PF sound brick playing 'muzak' on repeat for the full consumer experience. - The interior is not too detailed, which I personally don't mind as it does encourage you to add your own touches. It doesn't look as empty as it does in some of the official images, either. The only thing I wouldn't mind is a tiled ground floor - maybe Jamie could give us a sketch or idea for an unofficial parquetry floor or somesuch? HINT HINT. - A sense of humour is to be encouraged and the funny box art is a great tradition which I hope continues - Having 2 almost identical top floors is a twist on the corner design and a neat idea to make it much easier to build higher versions - I really like this as many of these department stores have near-identical middle facades - For me, this is right up there at the top of the modular series along with 10185 Green Grocer. There is something amazing about the vast expanse of frontage a corner building creates, so it's very pleasing to see this style return 3 years after the release of the original. Thanks for reading! And of course a big thankyou to the talented Jamie Berard for continuing to bring us these marvels!

INDEXED Set Number: 10211 Set Name: Grand Emporium Theme: Modular Houses Pieces: 2182 Price: $US149.99; EUR149.99; GBP 139.99: $AUD249.99 Links: Shop @ Home; Brickset; Bricklink NOTE: All images in the review are clickable through to larger flickr versions. Introduction The release of a new Modular Building from LEGO is now an exciting annual tradition, akin to Christmas, or a birthday It brings anticipation, excitement, and a frenzy of activity once the big day arrives! We're now up to No. 5 in the series (yes, I count 10190 Market Street) and the line - designed by Exclusives maven Jamie Berard - shows no sign of flagging. Almost 3 years have passed since the release of the original Modular Building, 10182 Cafe Corner - how does the latest addition to the range measure up? Will it attract shoppers to stores with crazed desire in their eyes, or will it be relegated to the bargain basement? OK, spoiler - probably not the latter Part 1: Box, Parts and Minifigures The box is the same standard size as the other large Exclusives. No inner tray was as introduced in 10185 Green Grocer, which is a shame as its hard to keep these weighty boxes mint without support. The back of the box shows a wealth of detail! Aah, if only they reproduced these delightful vignettes inside the instructions so we didn't have to rely on keeping the box - boo! (Odd that they only seem to do this in Star Wars sets... anyone know why? ) (There are heaps of closeups - with witty captions! - of the box details in my flickr stream for those interested ) The figs and some of the interior furnishings. Designer Jamie Berard has really captured the feel of a Department store, with a mesmerising display of crystalline beauty and shiny shiny pieces! Perfume bottles! Gold plates! Emerald goblets! Be alert or be-dazzled! The toys are a welcome addition to the range provided in 10199 Winter Toy Shop and you could easily add to your shop display using the mini models there. Typical giant retailer, comes along and puts the small independent out of business I'm not sure what this gentleman - previously seen pantless in the change room - is doing in this shot from the side of the box... Maybe that's why this box is marked 16+ only There 3 instruction books but this is more like Green Grocer's 4 part build - ground floor, 2 middle floors, and detailed roof. You can find a 2000+ pixel wide clear image of the parts listing here if you're so inclined It's a wonderful selection, full of exciting new pieces like the Prince of Persia arch and dark green windows aplenty, but also full of old reliables like basic tan bricks, black headlights, white plates, and lots of tiles. Too many baggies to photograph properly! The sight of so many parts would send any AFOLs heart a-racing The contents of all the 'Bag 1's: Interesting parts from these bags. The green domes are surprisingly solid, as others have noted, and brilliantly reflective. Trans-clear headlight bricks! A curiosity, but sure to fetch a high-price on Bricklink. Much tiley goodness. Also 10x metallic grille tiles. The *human* minifigs. A nice selection of figs, with a great mix of newer torsos and hairpieces. The shopping bags are cute - any excuse to add some of those uncommon 1x1 tiles in medium blue. And who even knew a minifig could hold pants like that? Mannequins. Yay for an extra of the 2009 hairpiece! Yay for another Brickbeard's Bounty dress ensemble! Yay for dark tan man-hair! (Suck it Ricecracker - I told you it was dark tan ). The minifig heads aren't blank, just classic smileys turned around Using classic smileys is one of my favourite part of these sets and really hearkens back to a (different) golden age of building. Ordinary shop dummies or something more sinister? You be the judge! Part 2: The Build - Ground Floor Now we start the build itself. "You can never have enough hats, shoes or LEGO tiles", as fashion editatrix Patsy Stone might have said if she were an AFOL: Quality control rears its ugly head early in the build. A new shade of medium bley, perhaps? Actually the quality of the rest of the set was pretty good - much better than previous sets - so it's unfortunate I noticed this so early on: A smidgeon of dark green unexpectedly tucked away below the rest of the ground floor build - typically lovely attention to detail. We start adding interior details. An assortment of potions and perfumes. It's like Benjamin's 'Arcades Project' come to life! The three easily detachable counters (there's a 2x2 round plate on the base) can be recombined for a gambling table! Cafe Casino, anyone? They don't take credit cards in this store - look at that old skool register! Gemstones are securely locked away and held in place by those trans-clear headlights. You can see that the Emporium has a much bigger interior footprint than its predecessors and doesn't cut in at the back - this is necessary to allow room for the escalators - and more furnishings, of course! The domes are really, really reflective! They look great. Headlight lovers will be relieved to know that the new 1x1 brick with stud on one side hasn't made old faithful extinct - there's 68 black headlights in these wall sections With the canopies and brick detailing added. Lookin' classy! You can see that compared to the other modular houses, the Emporium is a lot lighter and brighter in colour selection. The revolving door is divided into 3 panes of glass, unlike the simpler version used in the Airport sets with 4 panes. The Technic half-pin with ball pops into the turntable - clever! Another clever technique utilising the 1x3 tiles for strength on the lettering. Extra clip plates hold the hose sturdily. The quality of yellow seems better than at its low point in the glowy alien mess produced in mid 2009 (like in 7641 City Corner) although colour differences persist. The dream is to have 2 10211s side by side - with one sign reading POSH and the other with SHOP. Haha! Next up, we build the escalator. The effect of treads is given using lots of those 1x2 cheese pieces in bley. Finally a decent use for this piece! The assembly attaches firmly in place. The addition of 1x1 bricks with cheese at the top finishes off the join noicely. It didn't really strike me looking at the early images that were released, but I love, love, love, the simple throughline of blue on this effective little model. The gold is a nice touch. Great work! Even the smallest details are made as perfect as possible. Mailbox and odd potplant technique with Technic axles and round 2x2 plates. I like mine better! Haha! Just for comparison The completed ground floor. Isn't it lovely? Awash with tasteful splashes of dark green, dark tan and dark blue, with brighter accents such as the fire hydrant, ice-cream vendor and SHOP sign. There is something seamless yet simple about the design. It has a 'classic' feel even though it isn't really comparable to any classic set. It doesn't feel fussy or tricksy, like some of the details on 10197 Fire Brigade either - it's gauged just right. Bird's eye view! Side-on view. Looking back over the interior of the ground floor. With the tan floor, it's warm and enticing in a way that bley or green wouldn't be. The rear exit. The curve is simple but well done. Solid gold doorknobs - nothing but the best for the customers of LEGO City! Leftovers. Probably that ice-cream is supposed to go inside the cart. Oops! At this point of the build, one needs some time to have fun with captions! Part 3: The Build - First Floor Now we move on to the first floor build. Yay for parts! The quality of tan is much higher than in 07-08. Colours aren't 100% perfect, but they are a lot better. The divine new Prince of Persia curved arch. If only they had this piece (or a larger version of it) in production before doing the 10189 Taj Mahal (all the Taj arches are pointed, and LEGO's version just does not look right) 19 dark green 1x2x3 windows and 19 dark green 1x2x2 windows. There's 38 more in the upper level too! It reminds me of painted-over ornate Victorian ironwork. Next stop: The Great Exhibition hall! The Crystal Palace! MOC heaven! The base is simple and sturdy. The curve is a nice departure from the more angular look of 10182 Cafe Corner. Where is the bridal registry? Tut-tut! The through-line of dark tan adds a luxe strip to the walls. The arches and dark green windows remind me of LOTR's Rivendell, for some reason. Let the Fantasy MOCers rejoice! It's a dreamy Art Deco combination, with the organic colours and arboreal curves. The flags add a splash of colour although if it was a real store it would be more likely to be billowing signage. 'SHOP AT SHOP! YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP! FOR SHOPPING!' From the side, we get a cross-hatch detail from the windows. Overview of the interior. It's pretty classy. Not the kind of store to put you through a metal detector and body search on the way out. And yet it is strangely unattended... FINALLY THE THIEVES OF LEGO CITY HAVE SOMEWHERE TO STEAL FROM! All those years of enormous Police HQs are justified, retrospectively. I'd like to see the thieves sneak out that bowl in their pockets. Noice. It really is. Ground floor and the first floor assembled together. We're almost there! Side-view. Extra parts from this part of the build - surprisingly stingy!

Happy birthdays guys! Hope you are spoiled!

Pig Farm and Tractor is now available from S@H in all markets: http://shop.lego.com/product/Default.aspx?p=7684 Yays for piggies!

I'm sorry I've been so quiet; this broken arm has been giving me a little grief, and only my strong Nordic force of will has been stopping me from sobbing openly. I promise to be more attentive from now on. I think having all the buff dudes line up and pulling hard is probably the suggestion I'm most looking forward to even more than the Eclipse!