Modular Buildings for future years

[GregD]

That's 8 modular buildings now and I can hardly find one fault with any of them. Each design is fantastic, the colours are amazing, each one has its own unique character and they are even better side by side. The minifigures and their colours are really well thought out. I love the fact they use the traditional smiley face for each figure - that was a great decision for a classic range.

Here are some thoughts for what I'd like to see in future years, interested to know what others feel: -

Know there was rumours of a florist last year - maybe that's for next year then, but with the Friends sets and new flower moulds, and added colours, pinks, lavender, bright blue, bright yellow this could have an amazing window display, and street display too.

Would really like it if they brought back the old female hair with sidey-ways pigtails from 70s and 80s - maybe it could be blue for one of the children, or an extrovert librarian!

I don't have a problem with lots of residential space - only MS, GG, PS have residential, but would be nice to see a dentist upstairs of the bakers for example, or a lawyers office, or even a private detective haha!

I hope to see more shops over time - it doesn't get boring, it just adds to the street, so fishmonger, baker, butcher, bookshop, antiques etc are all welcome.

There's been talk of post office, bank, library, medical centre - there's a lot to look forward to really - I'd like to see a doctor's surgery/medical centre, but top of the list would be a police station - they can't not do a police station, it's just a matter of when - I trust they'll make an amazing job of it.

Finally I'm OK with the one per year ratio, two per year is a bit much, but maybe two coming out in some years might work...

Best Lego theme ever!

[timmyc1983]

Hmm yes i only have the PS so far but have the GE and FS on their way to me, as well as a bricklinked CC, and i must say, i am very impressed with this line. If it were around when i was first into lego (90s-very early 00s) i would have badgered my parents 10 fold to get my hands on these!

In terms of what they should do next i agree with you with most points. You can't have too many shops or residential imo, as you say, it doesn't get boring because it adds to your city/town/street display. I think a medic al centre/doctor's/dentist's surgery would be a great addition, as would a post office or bakery(altho i have a MOC bakery i am beginning to brick) etc.

I was a bit disappointed they released a cinema this year given we have a cinema in Town Plan only 5 years ago (i am opting to modulise my town plan cinema rather than purchase the PC atm) but it still does look like a great building and had i not got Town Plan i would prabably buy it.

The one thing i can't agree with your Police station point, i just have sooooo much police stuff already, i don't think i could handle anymore... I think the medical centre/hospital has been neglected by Lego (certainly from when i was first collecting to now, there has only been 3 hospitals), so i would love that to be the 2014 modular release......

Only time will tell me thinks :)

happy building!!

[kermit]

Personally I am hooked on the modular buildings and i woundn`t mind getting two per year e.g. one in March and one in September. But that is what mocing is for. I already built my first modular building and im hooked like a kid in a candy shop. Im already building my second and planning my third.

As for the next modular building I would love a 5 star restaurant with maybe a delivery truck like the limo with the palace.

Edited March 12, 2013 by kermit

[wooootles]

Not counting Market Street... there may be a pattern.

2007 - corner, business - Cafe Corner

2008 - retail, residential - Green Grocer

2009 - government building - Fire Brigade

2010 - corner, business - Grand Emporium

2011 - retail, residential - Pet Shop

2012 - government building - Town Hall

2013 - corner, business - Palace Cinema

2014 - ??? retail, residential ???

Maybe we'll see something that finally rivals the Green Grocer? I thought Pet Shop had the theme to do that, but IMO one great big building > 2 smaller good buildings.

[Vindicare]

Hmm...that's very interesting wooootles. I never noticed that before. Now I eagerly await rumors for next year to see if this pattern continues.

I think it's going to be real difficult to top 10185 Green Grocer. Great primary color. Great exterior facade. First one to have an (excellent) interior. Only time will tell.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Legocrazy81

[Shushen]

Personally i would prefer more civillian buildings rather than govermantal simply because that would feel more like a real city. Always a problem in regular lego town where the number of firemen and police makes you wonder just who they are there to protect.

Also i wonder if maybe we shouldnt focus so much on what the building is used for, but also what kind of architectural styles new buildlings can represent.

[PsyKater]

Not counting Market Street... there may be a pattern.

That's funny, as it reflects my favorites:

Top favorite, must-haves:

2008 - retail, residential - Green Grocer

2011 - retail, residential - Pet Shop

Very good addition to town:

2007 - corner, business - Cafe Corner

2010 - corner, business - Grand Emporium

2013 - corner, business - Palace Cinema

I could live without these:

2009 - government building - Fire Brigade

2012 - government building - Town Hall

[kermit]

Does anyone have an idea who in the creator theme decides what the next modular will be and how do they make their choice. Perhaps by knowing this we can form a frame work that can help predict what the next building will be.

A very interesting point was raised above. Do the design theme start of with a particular design for a building that they would want to implement then choose what type of structure it would be or do they start with the buildig they want then work a design to fit in.

With the former in mind I can see someone deciding to do a chinese style building and then decide that a cinema like in Hollywood would work.

[Jasper Joppe Geers]

Sometimes i wonder if the designers at TLC have the same joy and fun experience as we do when creating modulars.

It feels to me that the AFOL's have all the freedom to do what we like, the only limitation seems to be the amount and

sort of bricks. I think when you are a designer at TLC, you are much more limited by means of exactly that.

Plus the set has to be available at a reasonable price.

For me, a florist would be great, or a bakery, but the utmost challenge to me would be a genuine supermarket!

[Rune Haako]

I'd like to either see a History Museum or Library.

If a museum, it should have a paleo department with a room with them working on fossils and bones that the public can view.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Rune Haako

[Pop Bumper Pete]

I have just started building my first modular (fire brigade) and agree these are awesome

Not sure that butcher or bakery would fit in with 2 story old style building

[Roger_Smith]

I have just started building my first modular (fire brigade) and agree these are awesome

Same here, got it yesterday, started building, and about what felt like half an hour later I noticed it was actually 3 housr later and time for bed :D

So far, I built only half of the upper storey, but I already know, I won't be waiting long to order my next one, most likely Pet Shop.

As for what could be done, I agree that there should be more retail/residential buildings. The general tendency Lego has to release lots of police/fire brigade sets is propably because they have the most appeal to kids, which in my opinion is something that doesn't have to be taken into account as much for these modulars, as they are directed at a more mature audience.

So I'd definately like to see more residential / business buildings, stuff like butcher/bakery, restaurant, hardware store...so stuff you'd need in everyday life and thar we haven't already seen. There could also be a mix of governmental/residential, for example a building with a post office on the ground floor and flats above.

As far as purely governmental buildings go, I'd most like to see a courthouse or a museum.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Roger_Smith

[GregD]

Maybe since we know there'll be a police station at some point that could come out as a second one that year - seems like people will be disappointed to wait a whole year just for a police station. I agree there should be a couple of shops first before it comes out... I vote for florist next.

[lightningtiger]

Maybe another town house with a coffee shop or post office or bank.....I'm just thinking how Lego design stuff......be our luck it would be a pizza bar in lime green and black ?

[SwissBrick]

but top of the list would be a police station - they can't not do a police station, it's just a matter of when - I trust they'll make an amazing job of it.

Definitely! Eventhough I didn't have a Police Station as a kid, it is their core business to do police stations and fire stations,... TLC cannot resist to make a Police Station as it will be the "ultimate" one, designed for adults... The dream of every kid grown-up kid

Would not mind at all getting 2/year... I have to feed my Lego need by buying smaller sets not designed for AFOLs...

As for the next ones, I could easily see a museum, bakery/butcher combined, post office, hospital, fitness centre, video rental (that's definitely old school and would be very nice in a Lego city... ) + appartments,...

IMO, more appartments/residentials would fit to the "realism" that AFOLs expect (i think), not only in the building, in the way they fit together but also accuracy with what you really see in a city.

Anyhow, can't wait for the rumors about the next one..!

[lightningtiger]

I forgot perhaps a supermarket as well in the mix ?

Or dare I say another cycle shop ?

[paul_delahaye]

so if this pattern continues

2007 - corner, business - Cafe Corner

2008 - retail, residential - Green Grocer

2009 - government building - Fire Brigade

2010 - corner, business - Grand Emporium

2011 - retail, residential - Pet Shop

2012 - government building - Town Hall

2013 - corner, business - Palace Cinema

2014 - ??? retail, residential ???

2015 - ??? government building ???

2016 - ??? corner, business ???

2017 - ??? retail, residential ???

2018 - ??? government building ???

2019 - ahhhhhhhhhh, Full square of buildings, no more modulars!

We need an inverse corner to continue the theme :-)

[AngleBrick]

I saw someone make an antique shop, I think it would be nice if LEGO did something like that (even if they have a lot of shops in modular already!)

LEGO antique shop by lisqr, on Flickr

[lightningtiger]

There is no limit to how many of these Lego could produce as it's for a city.....streets can be as long or short as the builder likes.

Maybe there could be a poll on this topic ?

[AngleBrick]

They'd need to make roads like, modular-style road, not those LEGO City roads!

[Vindicare]

2019 - ahhhhhhhhhh, Full square of buildings, no more modulars!

We need an inverse corner to continue the theme :-)

Don't you ever say that! 'no more modulars' is about as bad as it gets.

I'd love to see an inverse corner(s). That way the street could be neverending. I would, however, be against 2 a year. Simply because there's so much more to get that it would cause me to miss out on some.

Something I'd like to see when we get a fully enclosed square of buildings, is a park to go on the inside.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Legocrazy81

[rangermatt]

Hasn't anybody thought of a modern day school and not like the one in the friends line? I think it would make a great goverment building or maybe a academy

[Phazon]

Just to make things clear: Lego will not release brick-built roads, because brick-built roads are substitutes for the road plates and that way they destroy a part of their market. I thought that someone else mentioned that Lego designers finish their design about a year (or even more), before the official release date. That makes guessing which building/ style will be used much harder. And it could also mean that the next modular is already finished.

The theme will not discontinue when the block is finished, while the street consists of several separate blocks: corner-straight-straight-corner and so on. It doesn't need to be placed in a single square.

As for buildings I agree with most ideas, although I don't expect a flourist, partially because I don't think that such a building would look great and also because a flourist isn't that important in a city. The police office will take another year or two to come, atleast that's what I think. I am hoping for a slightly more impressive building size-wise with lots of details, just like the Green Grocer. A bakery/ butcher/ school/ shop seems most likely.

[wbyrd]

I'd really like to see an office building modular. They could use the fictional corporation of octan as the company. I think adding an office building to the street would add realism to the overall collection. However legos are meant for kids and I don't think even adults enjoy going to work. So this maybe an unpopular idea. comments?

[Faefrost]

Just to make things clear: Lego will not release brick-built roads, because brick-built roads are substitutes for the road plates and that way they destroy a part of their market. I thought that someone else mentioned that Lego designers finish their design about a year (or even more), before the official release date. That makes guessing which building/ style will be used much harder. And it could also mean that the next modular is already finished.

The theme will not discontinue when the block is finished, while the street consists of several separate blocks: corner-straight-straight-corner and so on. It doesn't need to be placed in a single square.

As for buildings I agree with most ideas, although I don't expect a flourist, partially because I don't think that such a building would look great and also because a flourist isn't that important in a city. The police office will take another year or two to come, atleast that's what I think. I am hoping for a slightly more impressive building size-wise with lots of details, just like the Green Grocer. A bakery/ butcher/ school/ shop seems most likely.

The Modulars may have a slightly shorter development cycle. They don't require any licensing approval, and at least originally one of the limitations on the designers was to use already existing, already in inventory parts (at least as much as possible) to minimize production facility run time. It's possible that the entire cycle for them, design, approval and production may be about a year. (As opposed to almost 2 years for a Star Wars wave, or 3 for a new theme.)

I think the next we see will be some sort of commercial storefront. Maybe a restaurant? Or a bank?