Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[AFOLguy1970]

1 hour ago, Lyichir said:

This. The upper two floors of the Bookshop seem to me intended to be an apartment, probably the shop owner's. And while there's obviously features it lacks I feel like it has enough of them to get the point across. Personally I don't really mind the limited number of shelves in the Bookshop. A "realistic" number of shelves would likely feel fairly repetitive and I much prefer the variety of features in the final set.

To me many of the recent modulars have felt stellar so the seemingly widespread sentiment that all the designers besides Jamie are rubbish rubs me the wrong way. If anything I'd rather see more and more designers take a crack at designing modular buildings, rather than see the theme go back to a single designer and risk stagnating. But maybe that's just me...

I totally agree that variety is a good thing, even in designers.  While PR (by Jamie) is my favorite, I do like several of the others, especially PC, DD, and BS.  In fact, there are a couple of Jamie buildings I am not as crazy about (looking at you, DO).  BB is OK, but it would probably not be in my top 5.  

I think Jamie does well on delivering a variety of designs, but if he has a weakness, I think it is the storyline that sometimes tries too hard.  Although as stated earlier, if it is by him and the Italian structure is actually going to be the modular, I am hoping it is a sculptor's studio, and the various sculptures inside help provide the storyline.  Statues and other sculptures would have to be in there anyway, so it is not like it would really be taking away from the whole thing.  

Some of the features in post-Jamie modulars have really been stellar.  Downtown Diner has a fantastic winding stairway build, and it captures the feel of a diner fairly well.  I also really like the colors in that structure.  The bookshop might be my second favorite of the modulars.  The split design is welcome, and I do think it brings some new features to the world of modulars.  I do agree that the rotation of designers has had some largely positive results.  

[JintaiZ]

On 11/22/2020 at 6:31 AM, Kirton Bricks said:

Would be a nice nod if one of the bits of artwork was the same as the artist is painting in the Parisian Restauraunt!

If this rumour is true and Jamie has designed it...do you think it's a reflection that the last few modulars perhaps haven't been as well recieved? Personally I like them all and it seems most people do, but some have been more critical seemingly of DD, CG and the Bookshop compared to most Jamie has designed.

I haven't heard much complaints about Downtown Diner, but a lot of people are saying the other two could have been done better...

 

On 11/22/2020 at 5:19 PM, theremin said:

Designer is Jamie Berard

Finally!!! 

[Vindicare]

45 minutes ago, Blazej_Holen said:

What about Gingerbred house? :) it has everything. Toilet, bathrub, bedroom, kitchen, living room... :)

Okay, got me there.  That one is pretty complete. 

[RichardGoring]

59 minutes ago, Blazej_Holen said:

What about Gingerbred house? :) it has everything. Toilet, bathrub, bedroom, kitchen, living room... :)

...stairs... Oh, wait ;)

Just for fun. It's lovely.

 

[Markebear]

The description of the new modular does sound a lot like this...

So not quite sure we have the mole we need.

Especially if you look at the link to interiors, sculpture,  tailor, wine maker and artist!

Edited November 24, 2020 by Markebear
Update

[Aanchir]

4 hours ago, FrkW said:

To each their own, but I've never really gotten the 'realistic living condition' thing. I'd much rather have a terrarium or a cute armchair than a toilet. I mean, if it was real they'd obviously need one, but they'd also need a shower, a fridge and a closet. It's Lego, there is quite a lot dispension of disbelief involved. 

I definitely love when sets in other themes feel especially livable — with places to sleep, eat, wash up, etc. But outside of themes like Friends and Creator 3-in-1 which tend to excel at that, it's usually impressive in its own right for a set to meet even just a few of those requirements, even if it falls short of meeting others.

And frankly, even the most well-furnished Modular Buildings rarely manage to cover ALL those bases. The residences upstairs from the Fire Brigade, Pet Shop, and Parisian Restaurant all lack any sort of bathroom, whereas Pet Shop's neighboring townhouse includes ONLY a bathroom and living room, without anything resembling a bedroom or kitchen.

Perhaps the designers see that as sort of an incentive to expand the sets with additional floors. But frankly, it seems just as likely that they've chosen to prioritize focused on making sure each building has enough unique and appealing features to set it apart from the rest than on ensuring they all fulfill the same minimum requirements.

After all, if every set had to include a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen, then not only would those features start to feel less new and exciting when they DO show up, but they'd take up space and pieces that could otherwise go towards more unique or surprising contents.

Edited November 24, 2020 by Aanchir

[Boettner Builds]

21 minutes ago, Markebear said:

The description of the new modular does sound a lot like this...

So not quite sure we have the mole we need.

Especially if you look at the link to interiors, sculpture,  tailor, wine maker and artist!

But the roof comment doesn’t make sense. The linked MOC Modular has the same roof as the Palace Cinema...

[Vindicare]

17 hours ago, MAB said:

This MOC was front paged about two weeks ago. Is this the modular being described ...?

 

There is a mixture of classical and townhouse architecture. There is a new (for modulars) roof technique.

 

Not quite. The way it’s described, one building dominates most of the baseplate, like the Bank. The one you posted has a more even distribution.

[BrickFit26]

11 hours ago, FrkW said:

To each their own, but I've never really gotten the 'realistic living condition' thing. I'd much rather have a terrarium or a cute armchair than a toilet. I mean, if it was real they'd obviously need one, but they'd also need a shower, a fridge and a closet. It's Lego, there is quite a lot dispension of disbelief involved. 

Yes to all of this.

[Blazej_Holen]

40 minutes ago, BrickFit26 said:

Yes to all of this.

It's not about the toilet/bathroom itself rather than to implement more diversity into the rooms. If Lego decided to go on a more realistic path (especially in their "expert" sets) I would expect more focus on details like that. For example - its a minor flaw but in Bookshop building, the stairs are blocked by roof when the final floor is attached. I now, nobody will see it since it happens only when you attach the floor, hence no problem. But for me, it's a flaw that I know its there :) 

Also, I would like to see more attention to living quarters/apartment buildings. One room with a bed is not enough. Those apartments count only with one resident, but what about families? Close to that is that teal building. One more floor and it could have a bathroom, a proper kitchen and perhaps a room for kids. 

When I see sets like Gingerbread house or recent Sesame street, I dont understand why those cute mini-builds and interior details are missing in the modulars.

 

[Fuppylodders]

2 hours ago, Blazej_Holen said:

It's not about the toilet/bathroom itself rather than to implement more diversity into the rooms. If Lego decided to go on a more realistic path (especially in their "expert" sets) I would expect more focus on details like that. For example - its a minor flaw but in Bookshop building, the stairs are blocked by roof when the final floor is attached. I now, nobody will see it since it happens only when you attach the floor, hence no problem. But for me, it's a flaw that I know its there :) 

Also, I would like to see more attention to living quarters/apartment buildings. One room with a bed is not enough. Those apartments count only with one resident, but what about families? Close to that is that teal building. One more floor and it could have a bathroom, a proper kitchen and perhaps a room for kids. 

When I see sets like Gingerbread house or recent Sesame street, I dont understand why those cute mini-builds and interior details are missing in the modulars.

 

Book shop building stairs are not blocked, on any stair case. There are rectangle holes designed in each floor over the space of each set of stairs. 

As already mentioned, it'd become quite boring and repetitive to have the same utilities in every build, and would take up the same amount of pieces each time, away from the theme of the build. 

The gingerbread House has nothing else going for it. It is *only* a house (same as Sesame Street) . So ofc it needs something... Thats where the cute little builds come into it, because without them, there's nothing else to put in it. 

Sure, also, an extra floor would solve the lack of space issue to add all these things, but then you're adding a biiiiig chunk of extra pieces and therefore, affects the price point. 

[darkhorse00]

53 minutes ago, Fuppylodders said:

Book shop building stairs are not blocked, on any stair case. There are rectangle holes designed in each floor over the space of each set of stairs. 

As already mentioned, it'd become quite boring and repetitive to have the same utilities in every build, and would take up the same amount of pieces each time, away from the theme of the build. 

The gingerbread House has nothing else going for it. It is *only* a house (same as Sesame Street) . So ofc it needs something... Thats where the cute little builds come into it, because without them, there's nothing else to put in it. 

Sure, also, an extra floor would solve the lack of space issue to add all these things, but then you're adding a biiiiig chunk of extra pieces and therefore, affects the price point. 

I thought I am the only who feels that the staircase is blocked on the bookshop. If you look at the bedroom with pet tank, that stairwell will be blocked once you put the red roofing on. It is definitely a flaw to me.

 

[Fuppylodders]

38 minutes ago, darkhorse00 said:

I thought I am the only who feels that the staircase is blocked on the bookshop. If you look at the bedroom with pet tank, that stairwell will be blocked once you put the red roofing on. It is definitely a flaw to me.

 

This is where the part that frustrates me is nitpickyness.

Its lego. It can't follow dimensions of an actual building. The roof slopes are wider than a real roof construction. When it's got the roof on, technically, it's 2/3rds blocked. And even then, the 'blockage' is an entire brick height upwards away from the opening. So it doesn't even close it off. It's an attic room. It's most definitely not beyond the realms of possibility of 'let's imagine it's a sloped interior ceiling' which at this scale in that tight space, is impossible to reconstruct. Because in real life, some entrances to attics are extremely tight and smaller than a typical stairway opening. Could they have opened it up wider 2 more stud spaces towards the bed? Sure. Then they have to redesign the floor plates, making it less structurally sound and simple. 

Take away the roof, the opening works. Put the roof back, there is enough room for a minifigure to still squeeze through that gap that is left. It's lego. It's never going to be perfect. This is the perfect opportunity to do what lego is based on. Using your imagination. 

Why arent you complaining the minifig can't fit inside the bed covers? Because you use your imagination that it's a representation of a bed he 'could' go in. But he will never use it. Will he ever use that stair way when the roof is on?! No, it's physically impossible because you can't get your hands in there to make him pop up through the stairway! But when the roof is off, yeah you could hop him up the stairs and through the gap (well, drag him by his head up the last few stairs up through the opening). 

The opening is no more an issue than the bed not being able to contain a minifig inside it without removing his head and popping it on the pillow or making the bed massively oversized to incorporate his entire body. 

Nitpickyness like this is definitely a flaw to me in human psychology. 

 

*edit*

I'm being too blunt/harsh in my response, I'm frustrated at other things right now, and can't see how to explain the above more diplomatically, so apologies in the tone used. 

That's definitely one of my flaws! 

Edited November 24, 2020 by Fuppylodders

[MAB]

17 hours ago, FrkW said:

To each their own, but I've never really gotten the 'realistic living condition' thing. I'd much rather have a terrarium or a cute armchair than a toilet. I mean, if it was real they'd obviously need one, but they'd also need a shower, a fridge and a closet. It's Lego, there is quite a lot dispension of disbelief involved. 

Maybe the vivarium is the toilet.

 

[theremin]

I think it would be really boring to have a bathroom in every single building. I even find it repetitive and space-consuming to always have stairs, but actually it would be too much unrealistic without them 

Many people complain that the Bookshop needs more shelves and books. Personally I complain about having two beds in the same modular! To be honest, I would have preferred something different (and more original) rather than another bed. 

[Boettner Builds]

2 minutes ago, theremin said:

I think it would be really boring to have a bathroom in every single building. I even find it repetitive and space-consuming to always have stairs, but actually it would be too much unrealistic without them 

Many people complain that the Bookshop needs more shelves and books. Personally I complain about having two beds in the same modular! To be honest, I would have preferred something different (and more original) rather than another bed. 

My biggest complaint about the book shop is it only has one actual book. It’s a shop that sells books, and it only has ONE book.

[Fuppylodders]

26 minutes ago, Boettner Builds said:

My biggest complaint about the book shop is it only has one actual book. It’s a shop that sells books, and it only has ONE book.

This I can get on board with 

[paupadros]

Going by the description, its sounds like something like this beauty by the one and only @Giacinto Consiglio 

The "traditional townhouse" you're suggesting makes me think of this other modular of his:

or even one of my buildings:

Honestly, many of his modulars would easily tick many of the boxes you guys are putting forth.

Edited November 24, 2020 by paupadros

[Lyichir]

2 hours ago, Boettner Builds said:

My biggest complaint about the book shop is it only has one actual book. It’s a shop that sells books, and it only has ONE book.

It has plenty of books—the others are just brick-built and attached to the shelves themselves. As neat as it would be to get a variety of book pieces, having a bunch of shelves full of loose books could be a recipe for disaster when it came time to move the completed set.

[MT480]

3 hours ago, theremin said:

I think it would be really boring to have a bathroom in every single building. I even find it repetitive and space-consuming to always have stairs, but actually it would be too much unrealistic without them 

Many people complain that the Bookshop needs more shelves and books. Personally I complain about having two beds in the same modular! To be honest, I would have preferred something different (and more original) rather than another bed. 

Any other info you can tell us @theremin? :)

[Vilhelm22]

1 hour ago, Lyichir said:

It has plenty of books—the others are just brick-built and attached to the shelves themselves. As neat as it would be to get a variety of book pieces, having a bunch of shelves full of loose books could be a recipe for disaster when it came time to move the completed set.

Haha trying to imagine the ensuing disaster if all the books were loose....

Not to seem lazy or impatient but what news have we got so far? (There are a lot of discussed rumours in this thread, so coming late it's quite hard to find concrete info on the subject...) 

[Fuppylodders]

24 minutes ago, Vilhelm22 said:

Haha trying to imagine the ensuing disaster if all the books were loose....

Not to seem lazy or impatient but what news have we got so far? (There are a lot of discussed rumours in this thread, so coming late it's quite hard to find concrete info on the subject...) 

Nothing concrete. Only what Theremin said, which, I'd take with a pinch of salt for now.

[Vlado_sk]

When do you expect official images or at least official info? I think last year it was in early december isn´t it?

[JintaiZ]

15 minutes ago, Vlado_sk said:

When do you expect official images or at least official info? I think last year it was in early december isn´t it?

I'd probably say mid December.

[JintaiZ]

On 11/22/2020 at 5:19 PM, theremin said:

- no black box distinctive of the adult-oriented series (to be confirmed);

Brickset listed it as 18+...

Edited November 25, 2020 by JintaiZ