Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Blazej_Holen]

4 hours ago, Options said:

Wow! A DMV modular would be great!  I could take the hundreds of lonely, living in a plastic bag mini-figs and line them up around the building waiting...waiting...and waiting.  A Lego printed clock piece would be great as the hands never move.

BTW, I only collect modulars. City sets are irrelevant to me.  I’m still waiting for a police station, hospital or school.  Maybe next year?  Or, will I have to spend a grand on one of the eBay MOCs?

Why u didnt build your own moc Police station? 

[Carefree_Dude]

How would you feel about a "skyscraper" modular set? Like something 5-6 stories high, but designed in such a way that if you buy additional sets you can easily convert the main floor into an extra level, and keep building it taller. Maybe include alternate floorplans for additional floors, etc. 

[ReplicaOfLife]

30 minutes ago, Carefree_Dude said:

How would you feel about a "skyscraper" modular set? Like something 5-6 stories high, but designed in such a way that if you buy additional sets you can easily convert the main floor into an extra level, and keep building it taller. Maybe include alternate floorplans for additional floors, etc. 

A skyscraper on modular footprint would not work, imo - it's too small, the building would have to emulate a smaller scale to not look ridiculousyl thin once you reach a certain height.
Incidently, there's an independent german company that actually has a modular skyscraper that you can buy additional floors for. I personally don't like that model, but if you're interested, here's the base model and the additional floor. It has no interior, though, it's a completely empty shell.

 

Btw: I would absolutely love it if Lego sold extra floors separately!
But as some consultants would propably tell them that they will make more money if the AFOL-folk is forced to buy the entire set multiple times if they want a bigger version, I see little chance for that.
 

[imvanya]

2 hours ago, CSW652 said:

I would have attached a picture, but it says I can only have a max total size of 0.03MB.  So how do you clear that or add more space?

8 hours ago, imvanya said:

This should have the information you are looking for:

[Options]

2 hours ago, Blazej_Holen said:

Why u didnt build your own moc Police station? 

I’m waiting for Lego to do it for me.  I mostly build apartments/houses and expand existing modulars.

[koalayummies]

Example of modular stacking right here on EB.

LUGNET: 18 floor Cafe Corner

 

[Carefree_Dude]

I wonder how high you could make that thing before it crumbled under its own weight or fell over (assuming each floor had something holding the 4 seconds together as well

[Digger of Bricks]

11 hours ago, imvanya said:

https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/bd37c50e-cead-44ce-8a6f-5c15c0967915 Looks like it is not a truck:

Objectively, one of the strongest entries, so the Grand Prize is well deserved.

Not my first choice out of the fifteen selected entries, but a very well-designed build nonetheless, quite fitting to complement the Modular line.  I do hope though that the final product will retain most if not all of the original submission's NPU.

[Agent 86]

Interesting "Modular" vehicle winner. It will look good outside the Diner, Detective's Office and Garage. I wonder if it's a hint (however slight) that the next Modular will be more ... "American" in design? I'm guessing whatever it is - it won't be a public library (as I don't see Lego following the Bookstore with a library).

It doesn't immediately fit with many of my "most wanted" (i.e. a police station, cottage hospital / doctor's office, school, etc). But, it could easily be a criminal's car, a teacher's car, etc. Or it would be fine outside a block of apartments. Then again, I don't know if Lego even intended to "match" the GWP to the next Modular. They could be wholly unrelated to one another, apart from the vehicle being in "Modular" vehicle scale.

[Vindicare]

16 hours ago, Options said:

Wow! A DMV modular would be great!  I could take the hundreds of lonely, living in a plastic bag mini-figs and line them up around the building waiting...waiting...and waiting.  A Lego printed clock piece would be great as the hands never move.

BTW, I only collect modulars. City sets are irrelevant to me.  I’m still waiting for a police station, hospital or school.  Maybe next year?  Or, will I have to spend a grand on one of the eBay MOCs?

City gives some good offerings, especially when it comes to populating a city. Last year’s hospital is great & fairly easy to MOD into fitting with the Modulars. There’s one or two pictures floating around here of people who have added them. Police station....gotta keep waiting on that. 

[CSW652]

I think it would go with a car dealer, TV or radio station.  Maybe an old fashioned drive in.

[Blazej_Holen]

I hope that this winner car submission would be in deferent colour rather then teal again. There is already too much teal within recent modular sets already. Also hopo for chrome details and not in pearl something...

[Roebuck]

20 hours ago, jonahtron said:

Totally agree. Makes you wonder if LEGO would consider full on chrome pieces, or if this will just be made with white and the pearly silver colour.

Congratulations to the winner, I did not vote for it, but pretty sure it would win. One of the reasons why it looks so good is because of all the chrome pieces that make it pop. Without them I do not think it would have won, but will Lego include them? Probably not 

9 hours ago, Agent 86 said:

 Then again, I don't know if Lego even intended to "match" the GWP to the next Modular. They could be wholly unrelated to one another, apart from the vehicle being in "Modular" vehicle scale.

It was 15 different cars in the finale so off course Lego was not intending to match it. It is just a car and every one of them could fit in the modular street.. If they wanted to match it they would have made a competition with a police car to the police-station or a post car to a post-office, but then they would say what the next modular is and that is probably not happening..
On the other hand I prefer them to add cars to the modular street this way than using parts for cars in the modulars

[Lucarex]

Both the new bookstore modular and the vintage car winner (to replace the awful one the Diner came with) are an easy pass for me, just no spark really.

For next year's modular, I'd like to see something completely different to the format. A zoo-aquarium springs to mind. Doesn't even have to be a building (although recently saw an amazing MOC with one as a department store multi-level type zoo) but an open space still able to be connected. 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Lucarex

[Fabulandlover]

I saw on Bouwsteentjes that there are two more Creator Expert sets expected next year. Could it be that one is from the "From the vault" series and they they bring back the Green Grocer?

[Blazej_Holen]

30 minutes ago, Lucarex said:

Both the new bookstore modular and the vintage car winner (to replace the awful one the Diner came with) are an easy pass for me, just no spark really.

For next year's modular, I'd like to see something completely different to the format. A zoo-aquarium springs to mind. Doesn't even have to be a building (although recently saw an amazing MOC with one as a department store multi-level type zoo) but an open space still able to be connected. 

 

Disagree with the Dinner Car... I like it and consider it as one of the better cars we have so far (besides Speed Champs and even those are not the best). Besides how many cars allows you to put 2-3 figs inside? Simpsons and that's it... 

Both DD and BS are great to me. Zoo us utopia dream. Maybe some anniversary set but it doesn't seems likely...

 

7 minutes ago, Fabulandlover said:

I saw on Bouwsteentjes that there are two more Creator Expert sets expected next year. Could it be that one is from the "From the vault" series and they they bring back the Green Grocer?

One of them will be add on to the Fairground sets. Perhaps Tower? 

[fordtruckin]

There seems to be a lot of hate for American style modulars here which is quite disappointing. Yes I am American and I love the American inspired buildings Lego has made. The European buildings are not what I'm used to seeing so I don't love them at first sight (or even 2nd or 3rd). My reaction to the Bookshop was very similar to the reaction many on here had to Downtown Diner. But all of them grow on me and I buy every modular. I can appreciate the unique style they bring and make them fit in my city. There isnt a single modular I hate or regret buying. 

And Im just going to point out Eurobricks is in English, not German, because of the USA. Don't hate me, its true. 

[Bainter-ban]

1 hour ago, fordtruckin said:

And Im just going to point out Eurobricks is in English, not German, because of the USA. Don't hate me, its true. 

... and that's why we should be more appreciative of American buildings? I really don't get the logic here...

[FrkW]

To me it's less about US or Europe and more about period. DO looks fairly american to me, as does a few other of the older ones, and I like them just fine. There are several American styles of architecture I would love to see Lego exploring, but I vastly do prefer the style to be say pre 1940s. 

[Hive]

A shame with the car, seems like such a rehash. Same style as the car in the Downtown Diner, same colours as the diner itself... I had hoped for something a bit more fresh.

Nothing wrong with the design itself though, it's well-made.

[BrickFit26]

The vehicle that won the LEGO IDEAS contest goes really well with the new BS. Good choice, but I voted the for the 1st runner up. Both amazing designs.

[meliander]

11 hours ago, Blazej_Holen said:

11 hours ago, Fabulandlover said:

I saw on Bouwsteentjes that there are two more Creator Expert sets expected next year. Could it be that one is from the "From the vault" series and they they bring back the Green Grocer?

 One of them will be add on to the Fairground sets. Perhaps Tower? 

And the 2nd one Expert Vehicle i guess

[Blazej_Holen]

1 hour ago, BrickFit26 said:

The vehicle that won the LEGO IDEAS contest goes really well with the new BS. Good choice, but I voted the for the 1st runner up. Both amazing designs.

But the teal colour on car should be replaced...

Edited December 12, 2019 by Blazej_Holen

[Vindicare]

10 hours ago, fordtruckin said:

There seems to be a lot of hate for American style modulars here which is quite disappointing. Yes I am American and I love the American inspired buildings Lego has made. The European buildings are not what I'm used to seeing so I don't love them at first sight (or even 2nd or 3rd). My reaction to the Bookshop was very similar to the reaction many on here had to Downtown Diner. But all of them grow on me and I buy every modular. I can appreciate the unique style they bring and make them fit in my city. There isnt a single modular I hate or regret buying. 

And Im just going to point out Eurobricks is in English, not German, because of the USA. Don't hate me, its true. 

It’s funny, because when I first saw the Bookshop it immediately read San Francisco to me. The townhouse especially so is very reminiscent of what you see in SF...bright colors & all. I guess people see what they see depending on where they’re located. 

[ShaydDeGrai]

On December 11, 2019 at 8:36 AM, Lucarex said:

...Public transport in the UK is possibly the worst example you could have used. The entire dystopian infrastructure is constantly at crumbling point, the buses and trains are unreliable, late, prone to adverse weather, filthy, overcrowded and expensive...

Ahh, sounds like you'd feel right at home in Boston.  You pretty much described our system to a T (pun intended for any readers from Massachusetts).  The big difference is, as has already been pointed out, despite all of these failings, in a _state_ with a population a bit under 7 million people, the transit system for metro Boston alone averages about 1.25 million riders per day.  I'm one of them.  I own a car.  I live far enough outside the city proper to have a driveway (in some communities just having off-street parking is a taxable asset/benefit) and try to avoid bringing my car into the city whenever possible.  On a good day I can get to the office in 20 mins from my front door to my desk.  My record for a bad day is just over four hours.  

I can't really complain about the price though, not because it's cheap mind you, but because the alternative is ridiculous.  My building has a garage where an unlimited parking/access pass is $1200/month.  The hotel across the street also has a garage that charges $12.hr for the first two hours and $10/hour thereafter.   Metered street parking (if you can find any) only costs $2/hour, but they're limited to 2 hours total (the traffic office chalks tires to ensure cars actually moved, you didn't just feed the meter) and the parking fine starts at $250.

Having known a number of people from LA, I can understand how they might view public transit differently, much more spacious sprawl, no nor'easters to contend with, fundamentally different attitude toward cars and walking, etc..  I remember one time a classmate of mine in college (from LA)  was lamenting the fact that he wouldn't be able to go to the gym that afternoon because his Hummer was in the shop; I naively suggest that he just go to the campus gym instead as it was literally next door, less than 50 feet from where we were having the conversation.  He gave me this look like I was a complete moron and explained that that WAS the gym he regularly goes to, but you can just _walk_ to the gym, you have to _be seen_ driving to the gym and park somewhere where people will notice your ride.  How else are they going to know you have a $100,000 plus car?  When I asked what he actually did at the gym, he said he liked to hang out by (not actually ride) the stationary bike because they faced the right way for him to watch people checking out his car.  At the time, _I_ was driving a car that was older than he was, was painted with Rustoleum, and cost me more to insure on an annual basis than what I'd paid for the vehicle itself -  we clearly came from different worlds.

But back to the topic at hand, perhaps the reason I can relate to Modulars is the parking situation - nobody has off-street parking and once you account for corner setbacks and fireplug clearance, there's precious little street parking for the number of apartments and businesses they need to accommodate.

There are a few place around here where developers have gutted old brownstones, installed car elevators and turned them into modern garages with old-school veneers.  Maybe the lego equivalent of that would make an interesting modular on day.