Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Off the wall]

Astrid's design would be fine with me.

[eurotrash]

I only hope that Jamie is the designer of this one, not Astrid...

Harsh. I thought the Palace Theatre was really well designed with plenty of lovely interior touches.

[peter_m]

Do you not like Astrid's buildings?

Harsh. I thought the Palace Theatre was really well designed with plenty of lovely interior touches.

This is just a matter of personal taste. I do like (or even love - yes Parisian Restaurant & Pet Shop, I am looking at you) all of the modulars that Jamie has designed so far - so there is a higher possibility that I will also like the new one.

In case of Astrid's modulars - I always find something disappointing. Town Hall was decent, but I just can't stand the elevator's mechanism - it messes up the back of the building. To me modulars are all about the looks and not playability - so why has the appearance been sacrificed? The other one, Cinema Palace, looks like it was taken from some different story. The style of other modulars was (and still is) pretty much consistent - and then came grotesque chinatown-style cinema. Disappointing...

Disclaimer: all of the above are my personal feelings regarding modulars. It was not my intent to cause any disturbance or quarrels :)

[sithewok]

Palace Cinema was the modular that made me collect the line and is my favorite of the modulars that I own so far, so I would definitely be ok with an Astrid design.

[ItsaBRICKS]

This is just a matter of personal taste. I do like (or even love - yes Parisian Restaurant & Pet Shop, I am looking at you) all of the modulars that Jamie has designed so far - so there is a higher possibility that I will also like the new one.

In case of Astrid's modulars - I always find something disappointing. Town Hall was decent, but I just can't stand the elevator's mechanism - it messes up the back of the building. To me modulars are all about the looks and not playability - so why has the appearance been sacrificed? The other one, Cinema Palace, looks like it was taken from some different story. The style of other modulars was (and still is) pretty much consistent - and then came grotesque chinatown-style cinema. Disappointing...

Disclaimer: all of the above are my personal feelings regarding modulars. It was not my intent to cause any disturbance or quarrels :)

Fair points. The elevator feature is "eh" to me. Maybe it's just cause I'm from the LA area but I like the Palace Cinema. The theater it's based off of, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, was built in the 1920's so it fits the time period.

[jimmynick]

Harsh. I thought the Palace Theatre was really well designed with plenty of lovely interior touches.

Palace Cinema was the modular that made me collect the line and is my favorite of the modulars that I own so far, so I would definitely be ok with an Astrid design.

I thought Jordan Schwartz designed the Palace Cinema?

[ItsaBRICKS]

I thought Jordan Schwartz designed the Palace Cinema?

He and Astrid co-designed it.

[rollermonkey]

A stairwell would have taken too much space in the Town Hall, and I'd like to see someone try and design a functional elevator that doesn't interfere with the modular levels and do better than what Astrid designed.

[alois]

It would be appropriate if Jordan Schwarz designed this set, because he himself just looks like a detective from the thirties.

[ItsaBRICKS]

It would be appropriate if Jordan Schwarz designed this set, because he himself just looks like a detective from the thirties.

LOL! Spot on! Does he still work with TLG?

[Roger_Smith]

I'd also prefer Jamie as the designer.

Town Hall looks pretty boring, imho. I could live without the elevator feature as well, a conventional stairway would've been nicer (and there's plenty room for that). Palace Cinema to me was a good building, but nowhere near as good as Jamies masterpieces (Green Grocer, Parisian Restaurant, Fire Brigade...well, pretty much all of them except the big empty box...I mean the Grand Emporium).

Edited September 3, 2014 by Roger_Smith

[jimmynick]

He and Astrid co-designed it.

It would be appropriate if Jordan Schwarz designed this set, because he himself just looks like a detective from the thirties.

Yes, that's true. What I mean is that he has a sort of 'whimsy' style that is sort of an acquired taste and definitely comes through in the Palace Cinema.

[Lind Whisperer]

Whichever designer builds/co-builds it, I think we can all agree that it needs this piece for a ceiling fan:

[cgarison]

Whichever designer builds/co-builds it, I think we can all agree that it needs this piece for a ceiling fan:

Every Modular needs a ceiling fan. I even installed them on my latest MOC and it was based on a Friends concept.

[VintageLegoEra]

Astrid, Jamie,...etc.....Everyone at LEGO are special and have their own unique thinking and creativity. So we cant say this not good or that not good. What we can say is: We hope to see more advanced creation and better than previous one like the one in PR in terms of: new look, interiors, New minifigs, more minifigs in a set, new parts and more pices ( 2500 and above )

:)

[Herky]

I agree with VintageLegoEra...and to be honest, I never paid any attention at all to who the designers were, just have fun with their creations...I think it is great that many know who designed what and all that. I feel they should get their picture and name in the instruction manual, be a nice way to honor them, but the only designer I really ever heard of was Adam Reed Tucker on the Architecture line and I am not sure he is a TLG employee. It's all good to me no matter who designs it.

[peter_m]

It is not that I have taken a personal crusade agains Astrid's creations - it is just that Jamie's style appeals to me a lot more :)

[namioik]

Jaime is the best IMO, green grocer, Parisian restaurant, and pet shop.

[Ryzomc]

Your have to forgive me I've dropped in on this thread after a long absence.

So am I right in saying that all the latest info is pointing to a Jamie creation and it might be a detectives office.

In my opinion I would love to see a two building set like the pet shop with maybe a newsagents on the bottom floor with a detective office above kind of in a noir film style, with another town house next door.

In my opinion Jamie's designs are the best to look at and Astrids are the best for playability.

So what ever way you look at it, it will be a win win situation anyway

As long as the part count keeps rising and the colours keep moving I don't care as I'm gonna buy them all anyway as there is always a building on any street in the world that you won't like the look of.

Just make each one different....

[Lind Whisperer]

My personal opinion is that they all are wonderful buildings, and this is one line that I personally hope will continue to be an evergreen theme(I know that I for one will keep collecting them as long as they are released, and I'm sure that I'm not alone!).

Sure, some styles work better than others, but you know what? I think that's it's wonderful that more than one person designs the line. You know why? Because, to quote a little movie that came out earlier this year:

"Everything is awesome, everything is cool when you're part of a team!"

LEGO and fans are supposed to be, at our best, like one big giant team, all building together to create a wonderful experience. And the MOC-worthy modulars are perhaps the best example of this fact that is still in existence(and will hopefully continue that way towards infinity!).

Edited September 4, 2014 by Lind Whisperer

[Ondra]

About Astrid

For me is town hall worst modular building ever, there arent any chalenging building techniques building is plain outside and inside and piece count for nothing is also crazy.But Palace cinema is very nice building, but interior is worst part of this set.I hope that they thrown 500 pieces only for interior

[antp]

and I'd like to see someone try and design a functional elevator that doesn't interfere with the modular levels and do better than what Astrid designed.

Sometimes the best way to do something is not doing it at all

I liked the Town Hall despite it looks a little too "massive". I do not really care which designer makes the next building, I do not consider any of the line as "failed" (I even like the Market Street, considering how it was made). I like to have a few buildings made by Jamie, as indeed he designs them very well, but I also like to have some made by other people, to get variety like in real life: not all buildings are made by the same architect!

[syaorankung]

I still didn't own Town Hall set, but the only drawback that I see from this set is "Similarity".

Town Hall is so much alike Fire Brigade, Both symmetry and the year number at the top of building.

[bjorn77]

Town Hall is good, but still my least favorite of all the modulars I've got so far (FB, GE, PS, TH, PR). Like someone mentioned, it is a bit too easy to build and offers no advanced building techniques. It looks kind of plain, both interior and exterior wise. I like the roof section and the tower and it does make a nice addition to your street. Every town needs a town hall, right? Buy it, but get the other ones first, except for maybe PR since it's newer.

[ocifant]

I see some more mini-modulars have been announced for October - I wonder if/when we'll see them here in the Uk?

http://brickfanatics.co.uk/lego-bricktober-mini-modulars/

Time to head over to BrickLink I suspect!