14 replies to this topic

[Brickstarrunner]

As most of us know, the LEGO City line is pretty much set in a modern time period. But a couple of recent sets, such as The Fire Brigade, Town Hall, and Grand Emporium harkehns back to a less modern time and more of a nostalgic old time feel. Which then raised a question in my head:

What if LEGO decided to do an Exclusive Lego City line based on a specific time period? What time period would you hope they'd do? I am really curious as to what your opinions would be considering the vast range of different City and Town MOC's based on different time periods, ranging from a clean and finely polished 1920's to a very gritty and urban 1990's.

Personally, I hope they would go for a late 40's/early 50's style. Something about that period I absolutely adore, but I'm not sure what. The cars? The music? The stylized and idealized versions of ordinary everyday life expressed in their art? The white picket fence type of communities and feel? Not really sure what draws my attention to that era. But if they were to do an exclusive line based around that time period, I think I'd die of happiness right then and there. I would especially want to see them release streetcars or motor cars from that time.

What time period would you want Lego to release as an Exclusive Lego City line?

[Ricecracker]

I've moved this to the Embassy as this is directed at TLG.

[Legocrazy81]

The whole Modular line is of a different era for sure. 10182 Cafe Corner and 10185 Green Grocer are as well, IMO.

I'd like to see either a roaring 20's. That era just sounds so fun. Or the 50/60's. Like you said, the music and cars. The way of life just sounds so great. Stories my dad tells me, mainly  car stories.

[Flipz]

Well, if we can wait for 2015, and if the Back to the Future Cuusoo project gets 10,000 votes and gets delayed until then, we'd almost definitely get a 1955 set or two...

Oh, and since this is the Embassy: LEGO, PLEASE delay Back to the Future until 2015, the symbology of that year with BTTF is just too good to miss!

I, personally, would like to see a series of City lines representing different countries.  Having traveled a bit, I can say that the crowded, unruly streets of Japan are far different from the less-crowded but still messy streets of Seoul, which are totally different from the "clustered" cities near Cairns, Australia (it's kind of hard to describe, sorry Aussies! ), which are completely different from cities like Los Angeles and San Diego.  Not to mention the wide variations between cities even within the U.S., or the completely different aesthetics found in Europe...

Of the examples I just gave, I'd most like to see Japan, the architecture there is just insane; you build where you can, in between roads that wind around and through and over each other, resulting in all manner of irregularly-shaped buildings.  I recall a building I would pass on the way from my house to the Navy base in Yokosuka, it was a three-story building that was triangular, and the building next to it was shaped like a semicircle.  Closer to the base, there was a 7-story department store that existed in four separate buildings, on each corner of the intersection; the fifth (or was it sixth?) floor of each building was connected to the adjacent buildings by bridges.  Daiei Mall just outside Yokosuka is beyond explanation; you have to go there and experience it to understand it.  Any or all of these would be brilliant LEGO sets, and I'd love to see TLG use the City line to expand childrens' cultural awareness this way.

[Jargo]

1600's/17th century. Powdered wigs, Ladies and dandies about town. Georgian architecture and horse drawn carriages. Beggars and thieves. Highwaymen and farm estates. Grand opera and banquets and masked balls. Opulence and dirt. Sedan chairs.

That style of architecture fits into any modern city too so it would benefit more than historical theme fans. It would also nestle up nicely to pirate themes and provide a larger vista to set the ships against.

It's also a period of such stark contrasts. The seeds of the industrial age were being planted. We began to learn so much about the world. New science was at war with established learning. Colour was everywhere, craftsmanship and artistry. Influences from far flung exotic lands.

One thing that strikes me though is that any city is a mish-mash of historical periods. So why not have several waves of city sets with each one a different period of history? Or mix it up further with each wave consisting of sets from across history.

[purpleparadox]

Brickenhead-town-dweller, on 09 April 2012 - 01:30 AM, said:

1600's/17th century. Powdered wigs, Ladies and dandies about town. Georgian architecture and horse drawn carriages. Beggars and thieves. Highwaymen and farm estates. Grand opera and banquets and masked balls. Opulence and dirt. Sedan chairs.

YES!!! Powdered wigs would be incredible.

[just2good]

Love the topic idea!
I thought of this a few times. It would be cool if they just released a subtheme with each set from a different time period. I would like to see a single 90s sets where people have Gameboys, POGs, and 90s hair-dos.

[The Blue Brick]

I would really love a 1950/60s theme. The cultural theme also sounds fantastic.

I really love Japans culture, and hopefully will visit there one day. That being in Lego would be great.

[splatman]

How 'bout a Middle Ages theme?
Think Medieval Market Village meets Modular City.

Another one, is a holiday theme. Like the Winter Village series, but in Modular format.

Or Wild Wild West.

[Brickstarrunner]

Brickenhead-town-dweller, on 09 April 2012 - 01:30 AM, said:

1600's/17th century. Powdered wigs, Ladies and dandies about town. Georgian architecture and horse drawn carriages. Beggars and thieves. Highwaymen and farm estates. Grand opera and banquets and masked balls. Opulence and dirt. Sedan chairs.

That style of architecture fits into any modern city too so it would benefit more than historical theme fans. It would also nestle up nicely to pirate themes and provide a larger vista to set the ships against.

It's also a period of such stark contrasts. The seeds of the industrial age were being planted. We began to learn so much about the world. New science was at war with established learning. Colour was everywhere, craftsmanship and artistry. Influences from far flung exotic lands.

An Industrial Revolution series would be very interesting to see! Imagine all the possibilities for sets containing gears, working machines, and what not. The accessories would also be fantastic! Not only would it help aid the Steampunk group of people, but it could also blend in with Pirates and possibly Western or even Modern MOC's if used appropriately.

splatman, on 09 April 2012 - 05:22 AM, said:

How 'bout a Middle Ages theme?
Think Medieval Market Village meets Modular City.

Brickenhead-town-dweller, on 09 April 2012 - 01:30 AM, said:

One thing that strikes me though is that any city is a mish-mash of historical periods. So why not have several waves of city sets with each one a different period of history? Or mix it up further with each wave consisting of sets from across history.

Yes, I have to agree as well. If you have ever visited a European city, the clash between the old stuff that stayed and the new stuff that's moving in is very prominent. This would also give TLC an excuse to mix up the Castle theme and City theme into one gigantic bucket.

Legocrazy81, on 09 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

The whole Modular line is of a different era for sure. 10182 Cafe Corner and 10185 Green Grocer are as well, IMO.

I'd like to see either a roaring 20's. That era just sounds so fun. Or the 50/60's. Like you said, the music and cars. The way of life just sounds so great. Stories my dad tells me, mainly  car stories.

...don't forget the streetcars. They were pretty much everyday life to city dwellers.

http://i1137.photobu...rTrolley2-1.png

Lego, why you no make us old Streetcar!?  

Edited by Ricecracker, 09 April 2012 - 04:24 PM.
Please resize your image to 800x600 or smaller, as per site guidelines. Thanks.

[Commander Red Hat]

Great idea to make a line that is from another time.
I basically like everything between 1930 and 1970, I'll throw this in the mix for my layout.

But if I asolutely had to choose, I'd say the 60's. Great cars, great music and free ...!

[Faefrost]

I love the more period feel to the modular sets. But there is a subtle problem with looking to do a more specifically targeted "semi modern" historical time period. It is the more European and International nature of Lego itself. Remember that parts of even the modern industrialized world were radically different at different time periods as a result of WW I and WW II. There is that certain idealic view that we have of the late 1940's and into the 1950's. That time before the advent of shopping malls and interstates when Main Street was still Main Street, and yet we were seeing the modern aspects of cars and transportation etc. Even if we broaden this period out to include most of the 30's, we forget that what we are actually thinking of is the North America, the US and Canada during that time period. Europe had some very differing development patterns. That 1940's to 50's period was the post war period of rebuilding for them. That more smaller town feel would have occurred earlier, before the Wars.

This isn't to say that their aren't plenty of good modeling subjects from the entire early 20th century across the boards. Just that it is a little harder to do as a global theme then you might think. Turn of the Century or Victorian stuff is much easier in part because it is far enough back that the lines can get blurred a bit. The reasons why Lego shy's away from things between WW I and what could reasonably be considered "modern or current" are subtler than we might think, but they are there.

About the best they can really do is that generally accepted nondescript "Christmas Village" type time period that seems to be hard coded into everyone's heads these days, that exists somewhere between Dickens and It's a Wonderful Life, with shades of Ralphie and a Christmas Story. It exists somewhere mid 20th century, but exactly when is dependent on the observer. It exists somewhere outside of the actual horrors and changes that the world underwent during that time.

[natelite]

western of course! we should vote the western modular in cussoo until it becomes reality! it's about time we have western modular.

[CDC]

Captain Green Hair, on 09 April 2012 - 10:01 AM, said:

Great idea to make a line that is from another time.
I basically like everything between 1930 and 1970, I'll throw this in the mix for my layout.

But if I asolutely had to choose, I'd say the 60's. Great cars, great music and free ...!

Ditto!  

[sologuy369]

Flipz, on 09 April 2012 - 01:23 AM, said:

Well, if we can wait for 2015, and if the Back to the Future Cuusoo project gets 10,000 votes and gets delayed until then, we'd almost definitely get a 1955 set or two...

Oh, and since this is the Embassy: LEGO, PLEASE delay Back to the Future until 2015, the symbology of that year with BTTF is just too good to miss!

Or we could possibly see some wild west too! BTTF3