Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Shiva]

Somethings is wrong, could you take a photo of the side?

+ a photo farther away?

[jus1973]

On 1/12/2024 at 9:07 AM, PK82 said:

 

That’s quite a shocking amount of ´play’ in the moulding of the of the bricks.  I’d expect that of a cheap knock off copy, but not real Lego.  I’ll check mine too, as it may be a batch based problem.  TLG would certainly want to know about it, so get in touch.

[Vilhelm22]

On 1/10/2024 at 9:08 PM, Lion King said:

A 32x32 olive green school building with pillars and dead animal? It gonna scream “HAUNTED SCHOOL”….

Hahahaha not exactly.  Definitely not the olive green and without the dome.  But in cream, old city schools did used to look like that sometimes.  In a modular street I picture it as looking like that myself.

[Lego Conductor]

Just finished building the Natural History Museum today and overall I like it.  Don’t mind the color scheme and think the height is appropriate for size of town the Modulars seem to reside in.

As to PK82’s post I also encountered the white plates on the base of the second level to be off.  Running one of my finger nails up both the sides it always caught on those white plates.

Now for some speculation, would sure love to see a Hospital, Train Depot and a School on a 32x48 studprint.  And of course still think we have lots of ideas left for future Modulars; Hardware Store, Butcher, Post Office, Apartments, Library, etc.

Lastly, here’s to calling the next Modular a corner Newspaper Office!

[Yoggington]

On 1/12/2024 at 9:07 AM, PK82 said:

 

On closer inspection, I also have this issue.

I don't have a full street set-up, just two modulars side by side, so the pavement gap is not as evident.

I suppose this is a side effect of having a 48-wide modular, combined with some stress differences between either the colours or the fact that on is a top layer and one is a bottom. Interesting quirk.

[lego.ryan]

I was having the same issue as you, PK82, Lego Conductor, and Yoggington. I thought I was being neurotic, so glad to see it wasn’t just me! I reached out to Lego with pictures and received this response:

Thanks for sending in those pictures! It looks like there may have been a molding issue with the white plates used in bags 15 and 22. 

I've sent you out replacement parts for those problem areas on the build. This should hopefully fix the issue. The order number is 3018606863, and you should have the parts in about 10 business days.

So it does seem to be a molding issue! I’d recommend reaching out to Lego and sending over photos, too. I’m hoping the new plates will help fix it!

Edited January 18, 2024 by lego.ryan

[antp]

I think I already had a similar issue on a previous building. I don't remember which one, but I already noticed that the plates do not always perfectly align.

[PK82]

On closer inspection I have a similar problem with the Jazz Club.

Doesn't bother me as much for the Museum as I plan to center it on two full baseplates:

 

[Lion King]

On 1/17/2024 at 3:03 PM, Lego Conductor said:

Lastly, here’s to calling the next Modular a corner Newspaper Office!

I hope so!

[Lion King]

I just built Retro Food Truck GWP set today. It just puzzled me that there is no reference to the previous Modular Building set?

For example…

Vintage Taxi has a minifigure that looked like a thief from Police Station while this GWP goes with Boutique Hotel set.

Moving Truck has a painting that is from the art gallery from Boutiquel Hotel while this GWP goes with Jazz Club. Also there is a donut in a package box that refers to Police Station. 

Retro Food Truck has no reference to Jazz Club?

anyways, I really love this GWP set!

 

[Dennan]

On 1/18/2024 at 2:54 AM, lego.ryan said:

I was having the same issue as you, PK82, Lego Conductor, and Yoggington. I thought I was being neurotic, so glad to see it wasn’t just me! I reached out to Lego with pictures and received this response:

Thanks for sending in those pictures! It looks like there may have been a molding issue with the white plates used in bags 15 and 22. 

I've sent you out replacement parts for those problem areas on the build. This should hopefully fix the issue. The order number is 3018606863, and you should have the parts in about 10 business days.

So it does seem to be a molding issue! I’d recommend reaching out to Lego and sending over photos, too. I’m hoping the new plates will help fix it!

@lego.ryan did you received replacement parts yet? Did this solved the issue?

Seems I have the same issue on both sides. Not finished with the building yet so finish it first before sending a complaint to LEGO.
As jus1973 said, you expect this of cheap knockoffs but not LEGO itself. I do not have the issue on the Jazzclub or any other modular I own.

 

[jus1973]

On 1/14/2024 at 9:33 AM, jus1973 said:

That’s quite a shocking amount of ´play’ in the moulding of the of the bricks.  I’d expect that of a cheap knock off copy, but not real Lego.  I’ll check mine too, as it may be a batch based problem.  TLG would certainly want to know about it, so get in touch.

So finally got round to checking mine, and although i didn’t notice it at the time, it’s actually got the same sort of issue, on both sides, and also to a lesser extent, on the roof section too.  I’ll get in touch with TLG and see what they say.

[PK82]

My first attempt to have the problem fixed failed. I received a couple of white tiles instead of plates from TLG.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Personally I feel we’re long overdue for a modular TV station, Radio Station and Hospital. All would have playability and haven’t been included in any previous modular. 

[jonwil]

What I think could work for TV in the modular buildings line is something like the famous TV studio in New York that NBC News uses (the one that faces the street and has glass all around it). You could put that on the ground floor of a building and have other uses around or above it.

 

[jus1973]

On 2/4/2024 at 9:59 AM, jus1973 said:

So finally got round to checking mine, and although i didn’t notice it at the time, it’s actually got the same sort of issue, on both sides, and also to a lesser extent, on the roof section too.  I’ll get in touch with TLG and see what they say.

Just an update.  They have seen my pictures, and have offered to switch out the entire set, however they can’t guarantee the new model wont be the same.  They also noted that the press release photos showed something similar.  I think they’ve had a fair few write in about this.  Oh well.

[RichardGoring]

Oh wow, that's a big step. Might hold off buying until the next production run in that case.

[Lion King]

TV or radio sation sounds great to me. Hopsital is great too. 

But… i feel it’s long overdue for non-Western offical Modualr Building set, like Japanese/Chinese restaurant or antique shop with architecture. Don’t get me wrong but I’m gettin tired of American and European styles. 

yeah yeah, yeah, we have Family Reunion Restaurant set and we can MOC it. But MOCing it costs more. On the other hand, this CNY set is a perfect example of 32x16 modular building I am hoping for. Jsut fun to add and align it within your city. Sure, it could cost more too but still… 

[Fenghuang0296]

On 2/7/2024 at 10:32 AM, Lion King said:

TV or radio sation sounds great to me. Hopsital is great too. 

But… i feel it’s long overdue for non-Western offical Modualr Building set, like Japanese/Chinese restaurant or antique shop with architecture. Don’t get me wrong but I’m gettin tired of American and European styles. 

I appreciate what you’re saying, but looking at Ninjago and CNY we already get plenty of Asian buildings, too. Personally I’d really love to see a Modular building that accommodates some Indian architecture. 
 

Also, didn’t we already sort of get a radio station on the top floor of the Downtown Diner? And given how frequently we get City and Friends hospitals I don’t think a Modular one is urgently required - I recently got a preowned edition of the 2018 City Hospital from a yard sale in mostly good condition, restored and modified it a bit, and it looks excellent among the Modulars. (Though that might just be the windows that are big enough to let me actually see the interior from outside, which I love and wish would happen more.) Completely down for a TV Studio though.

[Lion King]

19 hours ago, Fenghuang0296 said:

I appreciate what you’re saying, but looking at Ninjago and CNY we already get plenty of Asian buildings, too. Personally I’d really love to see a Modular building that accommodates some Indian architecture. 
 

Also, didn’t we already sort of get a radio station on the top floor of the Downtown Diner? And given how frequently we get City and Friends hospitals I don’t think a Modular one is urgently required - I recently got a preowned edition of the 2018 City Hospital from a yard sale in mostly good condition, restored and modified it a bit, and it looks excellent among the Modulars. (Though that might just be the windows that are big enough to let me actually see the interior from outside, which I love and wish would happen more.) Completely down for a TV Studio though.

I guess I could keep dreaming for Japanese restaurant modualr set….

To me, that’s the recording station.  It doesn’t look like it’s a radio station to me. 

[DJMace]

I'd like to see another restaurant, maybe Greek, Mexican, or Japanese. Or something like a clothing store/jewelry store combo. Simple themes that can fill in the city.

[jonwil]

Mexican would be interesting, don't think we have had that in Lego before.

 

[TeriXeri]

13 hours ago, jonwil said:

Mexican would be interesting, don't think we have had that in Lego before.

Something mexican seems very possible , at least for some type of restaurant in one of the themes, Burgers, Pizza, Ice Cream and Hot Dogs seem more common, but LEGO does different food from time to time (bakery/pastry/waffle/juice/pancakes/slushy etc)

If I would choose current pieces, a Taco would be something like this, as no half round plates exist, that tile with stud could still fit something inbetween as filler.

 + 

This piece exists too , could be used for something like a sliced (crunch) Wrap.

 

2022 Friends had a Taco Truck (41701: Street Food Market), 2023 had a City Taco Monster truck, and then multiple CMF in different series (Disney 100, LEGO Movie, normal) 

https://brickset.com/sets/tag-Mexico

And 2023 Mexico Brand stores had this GWP:

Edited February 10, 2024 by TeriXeri

[Lion King]

I think we had a House of the World GWP that is based off Mexican / South American architecture.

[brickbride]

On 2/6/2024 at 1:59 AM, The Jersey Brick Guy said:

Personally I feel we’re long overdue for a modular TV station, Radio Station and Hospital. All would have playability and haven’t been included in any previous modular. 

 

On 2/8/2024 at 6:03 AM, Fenghuang0296 said:

And given how frequently we get City and Friends hospitals I don’t think a Modular one is urgently required - I recently got a preowned edition of the 2018 City Hospital from a yard sale in mostly good condition, restored and modified it a bit, and it looks excellent among the Modulars.

I can't see a hospital, honestly.

Hospitals aren't much fun. Especially not for adults who, you'd think, are the main target group. They might work for children playing at doctors and nurses, plus there's a legitimate pedagogical approach there (taking away children's fear of doctors/hospital environments by familiarizing them with those professions and environments through play). So I can see them in City and Friends. But for adults? Many people associate with hospitals memories of pain, sickness, seeing loved ones lying on those hospital beds ... - it's just not something I'd expect a large amount of people would jump at buying. Completionists, sure, who either will get any modular no matter what or who decide that their LEGO city absolutely needs one in order to be as realistic as possible. But many more people will buy what they like, and that's either buildings that evoke fun and pleasant pasttimes (Boutique Hotel, Parisian Restaurant, Book Shop, Pet Shop, Downtown Diner, Palace Cinema, Grand Emporium), or buildings that you tend to feel more neutral about but that at least evoke fun stories (Detective's Office, Brick Bank with the laundromat, Police Station), or have cool architecture (Town Hall). There's probably still people who have negative associations with any of those (say, if your wife had just hired a PI in order to prove your infidelity, or if the bank had refused to give you a loan, or you'd been arrested), but those would be far more uncommon cases.

If LEGO did a hospital, they'd have to absolutely knock it out of the park in order to overcome people's negative associations, and why would they saddle themselves with that sort of burden? There's plenty of other opportunities. A college or railway station, for example, would make AFOLs fondly remember their college days or travels, and could still have architecture every bit as cool.

I do know that at some competitors offer modular hospitals - but those cater to niche markets compared to LEGO, basically filling in the gaps in LEGO's portfolio. If LEGO has a large, world-wide audience, and gives itself only one shot a year at making an expensive building that people should ideally jump at buying, I cannot see them picking a hospital of all things.

Edited April 10, 2024 by brickbride