The Jersey Brick Guy

Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

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It's likely to be the next modular to go yes - especially if there's a bigger Modular coming for the 15th Anniversary next year. I don't think there's been any offcial indication though. Recently modulars have all retired towards the end of the year, but if anyone is after this set it's probably worth getting it sooner rather than later.

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Anyone get a backordered vintage car?  Mine still shows backordered not cx’ed. I called lego and they said since mine was not cx’ed by now I should get it. Wondering about anyone else. I ordered day release but later in day when police station was already backordered. Got my police station though. 

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Can anyone recommend replacement expressive faces for the minfigs in Assembly Square? I'd like to replace the normal blank ones.

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Bought the new police station yesterday (the availability of the Amelia Earhart GWP at the local LEGO Certified Store was enough incentive to jump on it rather than waiting for some slim chance of a discount on the set later) and IMO its the best modular of the lot. So many wonderful designs and cool parts.

 

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The March GWP was already available there?  Crazy. Definitely smart buy then. Who knows when things will be consistently available, especially to line up with GWPs.

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It's probably been said before, but I'd love the next modular to be an Asian style building to blend into the New Year sets/Spring Lantern Festival.

Imagine like a little Sushi Bar with a manga store... Or a Chinese Restaurant.

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15 hours ago, TheLegoDr said:

The March GWP was already available there?  Crazy. Definitely smart buy then. Who knows when things will be consistently available, especially to line up with GWPs.

The Australian stores are not run by LEGO but by 3rd parties and have different GWP schedules and plans.

 

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On 2/12/2021 at 8:37 PM, Brickham said:

Is Assembly Square retiring?

I'm predicting that AS will hang around while later modulars retire first. DD has retired already, and I think CG will before AS too.

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I still can’t decide whether or not I want to get the Corner Garage. It’s easily one of my least favorite Modular Buildings, but it’s still a Modular Building so it’s assuredly a quality set. Besides, I’d like to own most of, if not all of, the Modular Buildings someday so it would be wiser to get it now rather than pay reseller prices.

 

Speaking of Assembly Square, I hope we eventually get a Modular Building with a similar footprint someday. I really love how it’s set up with the fountain in the center and would love to see Lego do an outdoor mall or something at a similar size. Maybe in 2027 for the Modular Buildings’ 20th anniversary?

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The Garage is probably my least favourite Modular as well...having said that i'd say it does look better in person than in pictures!

The exterior looks great - for me it's the interior which is lacking, and it feels odd having a Vets above a garage. I'm currently in the process of moding mine - I've taken out the Vets/apartment and am moving the gym from the Downtown Diner in there. I've made each floor bigger as well so it now fills the whole base plate (into the corner).

But well worth picking up!

 

Re Anniversary I hope so to! It's the 15th one this year so will be interesting to see if that warrants anything special.

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Quite surprised this thread hasn't been commented on more recently.

The Daily Bugle has just been announced officially, and if you look closely it is modular, cleverly joining onto the news stand in front.  I'm not a marvel fan myself, but I still really like this, and will probably eventually pick it up.  

Actually the most exciting thing for me is the yellow taxi that accompanies it.  I reckon those will sell individually for a pretty penny on the second hand market.

With this modular type building, plus the Spring Lantern Festival earlier this year, I predict we'll be seeing a lot more of these type modulars not from the modular buildings line in the future - a thing I'm not complaining about.

Edited by Vilhelm22

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21 minutes ago, Vilhelm22 said:

Quite surprised this thread hasn't been commented on more recently.

The Daily Bugle has just been announced officially, and if you look closely it is modular, cleverly joining onto the news stand in front.  I'm not a marvel fan myself, but I still really like this, and will probably eventually pick it up.  

Actually the most exciting thing for me is the yellow taxi that accompanies it.  I reckon those will sell individually for a pretty penny on the second hand market.

With this modular type building, plus the Spring Lantern Festival earlier this year, I predict we'll be seeing a lot more of these type modulars not from the modular buildings line in the future - a thing I'm not complaining about.

"The connectors are there to match the Modulars. A couple of them look like New York brownstones so I figured an easy conversion into the law offices of Nelson and Murdock could be made.

Also I thought it would annoy Jamie Berrard to see one of his beautiful modular buildings next to this 1960's concrete box so I had to do it. :D"

:laugh:

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So after running into some money I decided to bite the bullet and order some missing modulars. With only $1200 I discovered I can bricklink the Downtown Diner, Detective’s office, Parisian Restaurant, and Pet Shop. With my next paycheck I intend to pick up the Assembly Square at a Lego store. I already own the Palace Cinema. Within the next month I will own 6 Modular Buildings. Due to my living situation I won’t build them yet but imagine how nice it’ll be to have some massive lego sets ready to be built when you finally get your dream home. This is a massive first step in picking up what I missed in my dark ages. Chima, Ninjago, Scooby Doo, Monster Fighters and a decent amount of City and Creator are still massive projects to take on however and I fear the longer I wait the higher prices go for all.

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On 5/17/2021 at 9:37 AM, Vilhelm22 said:

Quite surprised this thread hasn't been commented on more recently.

The Daily Bugle has just been announced officially, and if you look closely it is modular, cleverly joining onto the news stand in front.  I'm not a marvel fan myself, but I still really like this, and will probably eventually pick it up.  

Actually the most exciting thing for me is the yellow taxi that accompanies it.  I reckon those will sell individually for a pretty penny on the second hand market.

With this modular type building, plus the Spring Lantern Festival earlier this year, I predict we'll be seeing a lot more of these type modulars not from the modular buildings line in the future - a thing I'm not complaining about.

I was just imagining that tower of a building in the middle of one of streets, dominating the skyline. I love the can as well. You’re in luck, not caring for the superheroes, you can sell them & make a good chunk of that price back. 

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Just thinking about how they're probably putting the last minute touches and finishes on the next modular for 2022 and are already starting the 2023 modular. :pir-love:

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I would like to see a lego store modular someday, I am not really fan of the one from Bricklink designer program at his current state.

I can be also very interested by a medical center / hospital / clinic modular building.

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Yes, I think a Lego store may come in the future, although is maybe too modern.., most modulars are of an older era.

I’m interested in people’s thoughts for the next 10 years of modulars, I’m more thinking of style chat rather than what types of shops/public buildings.  The last 3 modulars have been very good and I was very happy to see a garage and a police station, but should the style change now?

http://thebrickblogger.com/2020/06/designing-building-a-lego-modular-chinatown/ - by Thita is excellent, so maybe we could have a few years in a row of more Chinese or Asian style, it would still fit well on the modular street.  Hope it’s not seen as too similar to Ninjago City.

Each modular is still unique, and they look great side by side.  Downtown Diner was very different to what had gone before.

It’s been such a successful series, just think it needs more yet to keep it fresh.  And as much height and width variation as possible, which was evident in Police Station, 18 studs wide main station building.  Baseplate and a half hopefully coming soon although may have to wait for 20th anniversary…

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I think it's pretty save that a modular Lego store will not be released anytime soon, since Lego allowed the Lego store modular in the bricklink designer program this year. 

4 hours ago, GregD said:

Yes, I think a Lego store may come in the future, although is maybe too modern.., most modulars are of an older era.

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21 hours ago, GregD said:

Yes, I think a Lego store may come in the future, although is maybe too modern.., most modulars are of an older era.

I’m interested in people’s thoughts for the next 10 years of modulars, I’m more thinking of style chat rather than what types of shops/public buildings.  The last 3 modulars have been very good and I was very happy to see a garage and a police station, but should the style change now?

http://thebrickblogger.com/2020/06/designing-building-a-lego-modular-chinatown/ - by Thita is excellent, so maybe we could have a few years in a row of more Chinese or Asian style, it would still fit well on the modular street.  Hope it’s not seen as too similar to Ninjago City.

Each modular is still unique, and they look great side by side.  Downtown Diner was very different to what had gone before.

 It’s been such a successful series, just think it needs more yet to keep it fresh.  And as much height and width variation as possible, which was evident in Police Station, 18 studs wide main station building.  Baseplate and a half hopefully coming soon although may have to wait for 20th anniversary…

We've often asked for Art Nouveau, though the curves would be quite a challenge to implement.

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It would be cool to see a modular (or any other set) in a style like Raygun Gothic/Googie. Or Brutalist.

Both are styles that (AFAIK) we have never seen in any LEGO set before and both are interesting styles (although Raygun Gothic/Googie would probably be more appealing to a broader audience than Brutalist)

Anyone know if the new Daily Bugle set fits into a particular architectural style?

 

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I would love to see some Japanese-style modular building like one from San Francisco’s Japantown. 

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21 hours ago, jonwil said:

Or Brutalist.

Quite honestly, I really don't want that.  Brutalist makes me think of the Barbican in London, which I detest as a Londoner myself for a number of reasons (admittedly many of these, such as the dangers of being mugged and house prices, are not issues that would occur in LEGO!).  Either way, I think it's a generally quite plain and boring style, and frequently uses dull colours, so I think wouldn't fit in particularly well.

I'd like some more single purpose buildings - though they have generally had one more dominant purpose, the last building to only have one purpose was 10232 Palace Cinema in 2013.  We had a series of single purpose ones - 2009, 2010, and 2012 also were.  I'd like a repeat of that.

On a wider note, I'd like 2022 to have a continuation of Chinese modulars - 80107 Spring Lantern Festival is a beauty of a set, and was one of the few this year that I went out of my way to buy (I normally buy sets in the order they are released even if a couple of years behind - consequently 80107 is the only non GWP set that I have released this year).  I can't remember where but I think I have somewhere seen a MOC made mainly using pieces from other Chinese New Year sets to make a Chinese restaurant next to the Spring Lantern Festival.  Sets of this kind would be brilliant, and would also help 80107 to blend better with the other modulars - mine is currently located between the Parisian Restaurant and the empty space where I should have the Downtown Diner but missed because it was retired before AS (this still really annoys me - second time I've been caught out by this issue, but hopefully the last).  This position is the only good one I can find as those two both have an 'absent' wall on one side - conveniently on different sides.  

The only thing we can really say about the next modular is it will almost certainly be a corner.  2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 all were.  The only reason I can think of it not being one is 80107 is a corner - so TLG might choose not to repeat that.  However, as these sets have 2-3 years planning I doubt they'd diverge from that - plus we're currently in the quite unusual position of having only one corner readily available, that being CG.

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On 7/9/2021 at 9:23 AM, Vilhelm22 said:

Quite honestly, I really don't want that.  Brutalist makes me think of the Barbican in London, which I detest as a Londoner myself for a number of reasons (admittedly many of these, such as the dangers of being mugged and house prices, are not issues that would occur in LEGO!).  Either way, I think it's a generally quite plain and boring style, and frequently uses dull colours, so I think wouldn't fit in particularly well. 

I'd like some more single purpose buildings - though they have generally had one more dominant purpose, the last building to only have one purpose was 10232 Palace Cinema in 2013.  We had a series of single purpose ones - 2009, 2010, and 2012 also were.  I'd like a repeat of that.

For my part, I don't have much preference between sets with one property or multiple properties per "lot". I think which is suitable for a given set depends mostly on whether the contents of a particular type of property take up enough space to justify devoting the entire baseplate to it. And in fact, when one property IS able to justify an entire 32-stud-wide lot on its own, it's often because it's a property that is implicitly multi-purpose.

For example, the Fire Brigade set, like a real firehouse, includes both the living quarters for the firefighters AND the garage where their truck and other work equipment are kept. Likewise, the Grand Emporium is a department store, so it effectively functions as a clothing store, jeweler, toy store, and housewares store all in one! The Palace Cinema dedicates one floor to the movie theater itself, and another to smaller areas where business is conducted like the ticket window and concession stand. And of course, the Town Hall includes multiple offices, an auditorium, and a conference room.

There are certainly several possibilities we haven't seen as Modular Building sets yet that would genuinely be large enough, magnificent enough, and varied enough on their own to justify dedicating an entire 32-stud-wide lot to them — for example, a museum/library (though the latter might feel a bit repetitive so soon after the Bookshop), hospital, school, train station, opera house, embassy, or luxury hotel (as opposed to the smaller hotel in the Cafe Corner set). In fact, I'd go so far as to say it'd be hard to depict these sorts of subjects at a Modular Building standard of quality if they DIDN'T occupy a 32-stud-wide lot on their own.

At the same time, there are also loads of unexplored possibilities that would likely be more fitting as part of a shared lot with other properties (or as a subsection of another, larger property) — for instance, a hardware store, sporting goods store, record store, bike shop, antique shop, pawn shop, arcade, bowling alley, Chinese restaurant, Italian restaurant, ice cream parlor, deli, daycare center, post office, art gallery, or pharmacy. I feel like a lot of these options would end up feeling monotonous or repetitive compared to other Modular Building sets if they occupied two or three stories of an entire 32-stud-wide lot all on their own.

And honestly? I think I'd be pretty happy with future Modular Building sets that explore options from either of these categories, as long as they portray the subject matter in question with the level of cleverness, intricacy, and artfulness that we've come to expect.
 

On another note: I know some people's preference for "single-purpose" or "multi-purpose" Modular Building sets is more about aesthetics (for example, disliking structures with a narrow facade like the donut shop and police annex from this year's Police Station set) than about what actually goes on inside them. But I think it's important to recognize that as a separate distinction. After all, the Cafe Corner, Green Grocer, Corner Garage, and Parisian Restaurant are all multi-purpose buildings, but the properties are stacked on top of each other rather than arranged side-by-side, so the same design language appears across the entire width of their respective lots.

Likewise, even though the Brick Bank's neo-classical style is interrupted on the right side by the narrower building that includes the laundromat and bank manager's office, that still gives the main bank building about as much "frontage" as a building like the Fire Brigade that isn't built on a street corner. So I think there are a lot of ways for designers to give a Modular Building an imposing and visually consistent facade even if the lot in question IS divided into multiple properties. And likewise, there are plenty of ways for them to horizontally break up a single property's facade, such as the Police Station's annex, or the bay windows on the right side of the Green Grocer's upstairs apartments.
 

On 7/9/2021 at 9:23 AM, Vilhelm22 said:

The only thing we can really say about the next modular is it will almost certainly be a corner.  2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 all were.  The only reason I can think of it not being one is 80107 is a corner - so TLG might choose not to repeat that.  However, as these sets have 2-3 years planning I doubt they'd diverge from that - plus we're currently in the quite unusual position of having only one corner readily available, that being CG.

Yeah, I think a corner building is probably a pretty safe bet. Even if we can't be sure that LEGO will always continue to follow a strict pattern with these releases, I don't think they'd want to risk creating a greater sense of repetition by making corner buildings LESS frequent.

I also don't think that the Spring Lantern Festival set or Daily Bugle set are any more likely to end up changing the plans for the main Modular Buildings Collection than the Ninjago City sets — which feature the same connections between buildings and between floors of each building, but also their own independent set of standards for the placement of sidewalks, elevated walkways, and canals.

That said, I don't think it'd be unlikely at all to continue seeing more Modular Building style sets from other themes like Super Heroes or the Chinese Festival sets in future years, especially now that LEGO has shown that they're willing to do so and not worried about those sets cannibalizing sales of the main collection.

Even Ideas projects in a Modular Building style (whether based on a pop-culture property, based on a real place, or wholly original) might have a better shot at approval these days than in the past… at least as long as they clearly stand out enough from the main collection to clearly be "their own thing" that happens to be compatible, rather than just a fan-made addition to the main collection like many of the Modular Building proposals that have been turned down in the past.

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