Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[BrickFit26]

18 hours ago, hikouki said:

I feel like Lego should pursue making another "Assembly Square type modular" to be its next flagship.

Maybe for the 20th anniversary. But who knows what that model will be.

[Westbrick]

On 12/15/2023 at 7:06 AM, DeanLearner said:

Yes I’d like to make a separate Science and Technology museum that somehow incorporated Classic Space colours without looking wildly out of place from the rest of the era of the rest of the modular series (maybe vaguely Bauhaus inspired).

 I’ve got various bits from 21302 (Big Bang Theory), 21312 (Women of NASA), and 60077 (Space starter set), plus a few others to fill out the exhibits.

I might buy/use one of the segments from Tales of the Space age as a back wall. Then I’ve got the rocket and command centre from 60351, plus various mini builds from 31142. Will also try and get my hands on some of next years space CMFs as well, to go with anything I transfer from the NHM.

But then I need to think about what else I can put in the NHM itself… 

Is there any way the fossils from 21320 could fit? I haven’t built the NHM yet and don’t own 21320 so don’t really have a sense of any compatibility. I guess there’s the Jurassic world 76940 one, but I don’t see the skull part working alongside the brick built one in NHM. 

[hikouki]

On 12/15/2023 at 2:41 PM, BrickFit26 said:

Maybe for the 20th anniversary. But who knows what that model will be.

Four (4) years from now! Sigh. I hope that ends up being *grand*. Perhaps they should make a survey then make the most-requested establishment/ building.

[DonQuixote]

I really hope for a Assembly Square 2.0 and 2 baseplates wide for the 20th anniversary 

The original one is one of my   favorite modulars of all time 

Edited December 18, 2023 by DonQuixote

[Lion King]

I don’t know…. I mean we have a big modular (Museum) set just hit shelves. It might stay around here for, uhhh, 7 years, just like Assembly Square? I really don’t think so Honeslty. 

We have Town Hall (5h), Assembly Square (10th), Boutique Hotel (15th). Tonw Hall is well-know for its tallest height of all. Assembly Square was well-known for largest set (now Natural History Museum takes its throne). Boutique Hotel is only a triangular building in the collection. Natural History Musm is just a weird choice the Lego Group made pretty earlier rather than save it for 20th annivesary. 

Here are few wishes for the 20th annivesary set:

1.) Building could have double corner on two full baseplates

2.) Building coul de a tall skyscraper, much higher than Town Hall (not sure how it will look good with its sides if it’s a stright building)

3.) Building could be a L-shaped one wiht one and half baseplates

4.) Building could be an U-shaped building on two baseplates

I’m just saying that designers do something unique for anniversaries. 

[hikouki]

8 hours ago, DonQuixote said:

I really hope for a Assembly Square 2.0 and 2 baseplates wide for the 20th anniversary 

The original one is one of my   favorite modulars of all time 

 

2 hours ago, Lion King said:

I don’t know…. I mean we have a big modular (Museum) set just hit shelves. It might stay around here for, uhhh, 7 years, just like Assembly Square? I really don’t think so Honeslty. 

We have Town Hall (5h), Assembly Square (10th), Boutique Hotel (15th). Tonw Hall is well-know for its tallest height of all. Assembly Square was well-known for largest set (now Natural History Museum takes its throne). Boutique Hotel is only a triangular building in the collection. Natural History Musm is just a weird choice the Lego Group made pretty earlier rather than save it for 20th annivesary. 

Here are few wishes for the 20th annivesary set:

1.) Building could have double corner on two full baseplates

2.) Building coul de a tall skyscraper, much higher than Town Hall (not sure how it will look good with its sides if it’s a stright building)

3.) Building could be a L-shaped one wiht one and half baseplates

4.) Building could be an U-shaped building on two baseplates

I’m just saying that designers do something unique for anniversaries. 

TWO FULL baseplates is the only way they could outdo the Assembly Square.

[Westbrick]

Just saw the Botanical Garden set got approved in the latest Lego Ideas set today. Am excited as it looks beautiful, but also surprised given the very similarly themed friends set (41757). And also annoyed at myself for spending so much time and money turning the friends one into a modular ha ha!

[Yoggington]

Having now bought and built the Museum, I have to say I'm a lot more impressed with in person than I was just seeing the pictures. There's something very grand and regal about the front pillars & roof set up that only comes across in person.

As mentioned in the last page or two, it's not exactly mind-blowing by any means, but it's a pretty damn solid design overall.

 

For the ones I own, it slots in about here;

Which is fine, pretty good actually. However for a 48-stud piece, you'd want it to be a great addition. It's just a little too bare, a little too square.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Yoggington
massive image

[RichardGoring]

26 minutes ago, Yoggington said:

Having now bought and built the Museum, I have to say I'm a lot more impressed with in person than I was just seeing the pictures. There's something very grand and regal about the front pillars & roof set up that only comes across in person.

As mentioned in the last page or two, it's not exactly mind-blowing by any means, but it's a pretty damn solid design overall.

For the ones I own, it slots in about here;

Which is fine, pretty good actually. However for a 48-stud piece, you'd want it to be a great addition. It's just a little too bare, a little too square.

Good to know, and sounds about right. It doesn't grab me as something I really want to build with any urgency, but I think it's a solid model. I also think that I miss the play features that Detectives Office and Brick Bank especially do so well.

P.S. You have Downtown Diner in the wrong place, and it should be way higher 

Now we potentially have a two baseplate modular to look forward to with the Ideas Botanical Garden set. Very curious choice.

[jus1973]

19 hours ago, hikouki said:

 

TWO FULL baseplates is the only way they could outdo the Assembly Square.

Possibly true, but the price would come in at over £300, more likely £350, and that might just be a tad too much, lovely though some of those ideas might be.

[BrickFit26]

On 12/17/2023 at 11:36 AM, hikouki said:

Four (4) years from now! Sigh. I hope that ends up being *grand*. Perhaps they should make a survey then make the most-requested establishment/ building.

I love that idea. An AFOL vote to decide what the 20th anniversary modular will be. 

[Yoggington]

4 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

P.S. You have Downtown Diner in the wrong place, and it should be way higher 

As a standalone building, DD is a really good looking set.

However, as part of a street made up of all the modulars, it's just way too out-of-sync for my taste - it looks like it belongs in a different city or continent to the rest of the modular line. Like an American diner dropped into a European town.

All IMO of course.

[RichardGoring]

4 hours ago, Yoggington said:

As a standalone building, DD is a really good looking set.

However, as part of a street made up of all the modulars, it's just way too out-of-sync for my taste - it looks like it belongs in a different city or continent to the rest of the modular line. Like an American diner dropped into a European town.

All IMO of course.

Surprisingly common to have an American Diner dropped in a European town. But not when the modulars are set, in my mind.

But you're right. It needs something else to go with it, and it does stand out a lot for that reason. I built a version of Bricky_Bricks excellent 50s Car Wash and music shop that was on Ideas, and I think they look great together.

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by RichardGoring

[hikouki]

6 hours ago, Yoggington said:

As a standalone building, DD is a really good looking set.

However, as part of a street made up of all the modulars, it's just way too out-of-sync for my taste - it looks like it belongs in a different city or continent to the rest of the modular line. Like an American diner dropped into a European town.

All IMO of course.

 

2 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

Surprisingly common to have an American Diner dropped in a European town. But not when the modulars are set, in my mind.

But you're right. It needs something else to go with it, and it does stand out a lot for that reason. I built a version of Bricky_Bricks excellent 50s Car Wash and music shop that was on Ideas, and I think they look great together.

 

I am in the minority here because I actually appreciate the fact that Lego made a different style modular. I would have appreciated it if they had three or four different styles and streets to rotate designs each year. But this was criticized. Then most everybody else started wanting modulars (CNY, Marvel, Ninjago, etc). I feel that there are many missing establishments that could not be made in this series because the theme is now fixed on a particular time period or style. This does not bother me in the end if Lego will make them in other series/ lines.

[RichardGoring]

11 hours ago, hikouki said:

I am in the minority here because I actually appreciate the fact that Lego made a different style modular. I would have appreciated it if they had three or four different styles and streets to rotate designs each year. But this was criticized. Then most everybody else started wanting modulars (CNY, Marvel, Ninjago, etc). I feel that there are many missing establishments that could not be made in this series because the theme is now fixed on a particular time period or style. This does not bother me in the end if Lego will make them in other series/ lines.

It was actually the set that got me into the modular buildings. It just looked so good, and I wish they made more 50s Americana buildings. Like the car wash one above, and the Bricklink Designer Program mobile diner.

To me, there are already two distinct styles of modular. American downtown style (Detectives office, Palace Cinema, Corner Garage, Jazz Club, Police Station) and then more European style (Parisian Restaurant, Brick Bank, Bookshop, Boutique Hotel). I'd be very happy if they added another couple of styles to the line.

[BrickFit26]

That new LEGO IDEAS Botanical Gardens set that was picked as a winner looks so big and could easily be made to connect to the modulars. It'll look good next to the NHM.

[DonQuixote]

Wow! I just saw a youtube video of an alternate color scheme for the museum.

Building Together is an independant Lego reviewer. Check it out.

From an average modular to a fantastic modular! It looks like the royal palace of Versailles in France now. It has a real grand majestic feel.

But that's just my taste. What are your opinions for  this color scheme?

[Yoggington]

2 hours ago, DonQuixote said:

But that's just my taste. What are your opinions for  this color scheme?

I wasn't sold on the olive in the pics, but in person it works really well. I would have considered maybe Dark Blue for the roof, but then you are really getting into Parisian Restaurant territory.

If anything I think it benefits from removing some of the clutter. Remove the two posters, move the window cleaner to a different modular, - maybe even lose the statues?

I like the tan surrounds for the windows (differentiating on different levels was a nice touch too), and I like the dark brown horizontal detail lines. I'm less sure on the white - could be worth replacing.

My only big qualms with the set are the bareness of the inside - it's begging to be filled out a bit with some more displays, and the use of the 6x6 tiles in the roof. I am thinking of replacing those with 2x4s or 2x6/2x2 alternating strips.

[legoturtle]

That museum where is this Doctor Kilroy will be my first modular building. Somehow I like it a lot. I will change some things, like that tree - a bit shorter that you can see the dinosaur poster.

[Archer]

I’m sure this subject has come up through the years, but how would the community at large feel if lego rereleased or updated the earliest Modulars? Let’s pretend that they wouldn’t take the slot of our annual new building. I’ve been collecting since fire brigade but the cafe and grocer are just ludicrously expensive on the after market. Not to mention that some sets that I own are scary to assemble due to brittle parts.

[Lion King]

1 hour ago, Archer said:

I’m sure this subject has come up through the years, but how would the community at large feel if lego rereleased or updated the earliest Modulars? Let’s pretend that they wouldn’t take the slot of our annual new building. I’ve been collecting since fire brigade but the cafe and grocer are just ludicrously expensive on the after market. Not to mention that some sets that I own are scary to assemble due to brittle parts.

That’s m wish, actually. i did bring that subject up this past summer and all I got was negativ responses from others here, such as “won’t happen”, “it’s unlikely” “I don’t see that way,”, blah blah blah. 

I really really think it’s a great idea to update/remake the older modular buildings instead of re-releasing them. Sure, the “veteran” modular collectors objet by saying “we already have fire house!”. Okay, so what? The new collectors don’t have it…  Let’s say, a new fire station don’t have to look exactly like Fire Brigade, such as a new Archiecture facade, more details, new and exclusive minifigures.

Also, the older buildings are much more basic than the tenet ones.  

[RichardGoring]

1 hour ago, Archer said:

I’m sure this subject has come up through the years, but how would the community at large feel if lego rereleased or updated the earliest Modulars? Let’s pretend that they wouldn’t take the slot of our annual new building. I’ve been collecting since fire brigade but the cafe and grocer are just ludicrously expensive on the after market. Not to mention that some sets that I own are scary to assemble due to brittle parts.

They've addressed this before in interviews, and said it won't happen. Partly it's 'taking a slot from something else', which I don't entirely buy, as they could do a release limited to lego.com, but maybe they aren't set up for that. But it is a more limited market to rerelease an old set (as a lot of buyers already have it) compared to a brand new set (that no one has).

Then there is the parts issue, with some elements no longer made, so do they have to recreate them, or tweak the design to incorporate modern parts? If they do that, is it is the same, or an updated version? If it's an updated version, why not take it further and do more updates. But now is that what people want and LEGO gets panned for doing a slight update? See Forestmen's hideout GWP vs Majisto's workshop for two sets that tried to do exactly that, and one got a huge amount of praise and the other got all the hate. Yes, fairly decent reasons for the difference, but something they face the prospect of.

And then there are the designers, who would likely want to create something new and exciting, rather than being so constrained by the terrifying combination of an old set and the nostalgia of the fan community.

Plus, there would likely be a decent number of people in the community who have the old ones, enjoy them being rare and expensive, and would be miffed if LEGO rereleased them, reducing the value of their collection. I hope this would be a small number, but they could be very vocal, and a whole orchestra of tiny violins would be needed. 

On a personal level, I wouldn't want them to. I am missing Cafe Corner, Market Street, Green Grocer, and Town Hall and don't really have any interest in them. Town Hall maybe, but today it would be a $250-$300 set, which they can do a lot better with. Green Grocer looks great, but is out of scale with the others to my eyes. The others (along with Pet Shop) really show their age and look basic in comparison to most of the others. Even Grand Emporium and Palace Cinema seem basic.

But this is the great thing about LEGO, everyone can have an opinion, and each individual is right. There are some great options on Rebrickable to build the older modulars with modern parts, so they look pretty much identical, but at a far more reasonable cost.

15 minutes ago, Lion King said:

That’s m wish, actually. i did bring that subject up this past summer and all I got was negativ responses from others here, such as “won’t happen”, “it’s unlikely” “I don’t see that way,”, blah blah blah. 

I really really think it’s a great idea to update/remake the older modular buildings instead of re-releasing them. Sure, the “veteran” modular collectors objet by saying “we already have fire house!”. Okay, so what? The new collectors don’t have it…  Let’s say, a new fire station don’t have to look exactly like Fire Brigade, such as a new Archiecture facade, more details, new and exclusive minifigures.

Also, the older buildings are much more basic than the tenet ones.  

Ha! Posted as I was writing my thoughts, which are, as you say, generally negative and 'it won't happen' 

But, I certainly think having new versions of old functions would be great. Nothing wrong with a new fire brigade. Frankly, a new department store would be awesome, as Grand Emporium is somewhat basic and very sparse on the inside. Minifigures need a place to be amazed at what they can purchase.

[Lion King]

1 hour ago, RichardGoring said:

Ha! Posted as I was writing my thoughts, which are, as you say, generally negative and 'it won't happen' 

But, I certainly think having new versions of old functions would be great. Nothing wrong with a new fire brigade. Frankly, a new department store would be awesome, as Grand Emporium is somewhat basic and very sparse on the inside. Minifigures need a place to be amazed at what they can purchase.

Agreed. I don’t see any issue with new verison of old functions.

A mde department street would be perfect for 1.5 baseplate set. It would be cool if they add a mall Santa’s seat to a department store (of course, it’s unlikey since we have Winter Village subtheme).

Not sure about a new verison of Town Hall but I don’t think it would be an issue for Lego to prove a new town hall set with moe details outside and inside. 

[Lyichir]

I wouldn't totally mind an update of the earliest modulars, but I also think that (having most of them) they might not be worth getting for me. Which is sort of the issue for those sorts of rereleases—the audience is automatically sort of limited by the people who already have the older versions and are more or less satisfied with them. Whereas a brand-new modular has no such issues.

Lego has also shown that they can sort of revisit the ideas from the early modulars in new forms—for example, the coffee shop in Assembly Square has similar signage to the Café Corner, sort of implying that it might be another location of the same coffee chain in another part of town. But I'm not so sure the other early modulars are as conducive to being downscaled or alluded to with such recognizable iconography.

[legoturtle]

It is so weird how colours change so much... personality and feeling. MUSEUM