Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[TheLegoDr]

Coming from someone who has been invested in the Modular line from almost the beginning, I can say meh.

I like the color scheme for the most part (I don't love the sand green roof here with the flesh color, but like the idea of a sand green roof otherwise). I don't love the flat iron design just for how it fits in on a square street. The whole point of the flat iron shape is because of the angled roads next to it.

I will likely buy it eventually, but I have zero interest in actually building it or displaying it. I'm sure there are lots of great techniques (and I'm obviously not a LEGO designer, so they could show me a lot of tricks), but this isn't screaming out to me, for some reason. I can see I'm in the minority, so there's that.

[bright22]

2 hours ago, TheLegoDr said:

Coming from someone who has been invested in the Modular line from almost the beginning, I can say meh.

I like the color scheme for the most part (I don't love the sand green roof here with the flesh color, but like the idea of a sand green roof otherwise). I don't love the flat iron design just for how it fits in on a square street. The whole point of the flat iron shape is because of the angled roads next to it.

I will likely buy it eventually, but I have zero interest in actually building it or displaying it. I'm sure there are lots of great techniques (and I'm obviously not a LEGO designer, so they could show me a lot of tricks), but this isn't screaming out to me, for some reason. I can see I'm in the minority, so there's that.

That's totally understandable. I think it's odd too if you put this one next to old modulars, that's why I won't buy it first, until that's some good discount. The pattern would look extremely odd except you put it next to Police Station - which I have no interested for this modular.

[Blazej_Holen]

Almost the most anticipated Lego set of the year and yet, so many criticisms and negativity (same as every year... Bookshop, Police station, Dinner, Garage...you name it)... I am glad that so far there wasn't any toxic fights and flames :) 

Anyway, regarding the Boutique Hotel set...I was trying to absorb all the looks and spirit which this year modular brings and I must say, that it's nearly perfect. I have minor nitpicks here and there for example

1. why there is no exit door under the grand staircase?

2. no facet in the sink on the 3rd floor...?

3. no railing on the backside of the roof?

and also some minor design flaws (from my perspective) - that angle on the left side of the hotel (above the El Cubo Fine Art building) reveals too much in the sense that it breaks the continuity of the lines... but honestly, I have no idea how to make it "smoother" maybe with some cheese slopes or something like that (similarly as in the Corner Garage?), and lastly the height. I understand the limitations of the budget (therefore piece count), but honestly, there is one floor missing. Some buffet or small restaurant where could be some public (shared) bathrooms / or at least toilets would be nice... BUT - this one can be fixed easily :)

 

I love modular usually as they are (in terms of their dimensions), also I like European style buildings (or SF style ones as well), so for me, THIS is IT (please give us / me more...). I love the colour scheme and the attention to detail. The art gallery? Perfect. Angles? Perfect. Its something different (no more boxes) and brave. I love it. Besides Parisian Restaurant, this is for me 2nd best modular ever (2nd place is shared with AS, since its anniversary sets, and its BIG :)

Edited December 7, 2021 by Blazej_Holen

[Vindicare]

47 minutes ago, Blazej_Holen said:

I love modular usually as they are (in terms of their dimensions), also I like European style buildings (or SF style ones as well), so for me, THIS is IT (please give us / me more...). I love the colour scheme and the attention to detail. The art gallery? Perfect. Angles? Perfect. Its something different (no more boxes) and brave. I love it. Besides Parisian Restaurant, this is for me 2nd best modular ever (2nd place is shared with AS, since its anniversary sets, and its BIG :)

That’s my favorite aspect of this set, it’s shape. Other than the Garage’s front wall, this is the biggest departure we’ve seen from this line for corner buildings. 

[BrickFit26]

The lobby is so spacious it could be used to display all the art pieces from the cube. It's like almost a better setting for them. And the cube could be turned to something else.

[Maple]

^Yeah, that would actually be a great idea. There is so much that can be done with the set. I'm removing the art building completely to show off the shape and fixing the back so it's smooth to the other modulars buildings.

 I for one love the palm tree and have no issue with a birch tree next to a palm tree. I hope LEGO makes every different type of building possible. I don't need them to match, I just need them to connect well.
 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Maple

[ddavid]

9 hours ago, 1992pb said:

So, since I was curious too, and taking advantage of a slow morning, I created in stud.io a digital model of the exterior of the Grand Hotel. I used as a reference all the photos provided in the various reviews online. I then downloaded from the digital forum a .lxf file of the Parisian Restaurant. Once put one besides the other, I made a couple of renderings:
 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

I may try this with other modulars too, but first my computer needs to cool down before it catches fire  

Wow, looks pretty good. Wondering how it would look besides other Modulars. Would you mind sharing your model? 

[Agent 86]

I like the architectural style and general colour scheme, but on closer inspection, I would have liked some tweaks. Mainly I wish the art gallery / terrace extended back a lot further to remove the awkward bin connection, provide an entrance to the terrace from the hotel stairwell and to make it a bit roomier.

My more minor / personal quibbles are the lack of rooms for a hotel, even if it’s boutique - I would have preferred two on the top floor and a communal bathroom somewhere. And I don’t think the art gallery and hotel lobby needed to be divided - it could have been a shared space, possibly even with a small eatery area (or maybe the bathroom).

[alvinofdiaspar]

Personally I am not so hung up on the hotel only providing a bathroom for the suite - the modulars have always taken their liberties with it (skipping bathrooms, having only the toilet, etc).  I find illogical - if not downright absent - staircases to be more of a bother, but it is just something to be accepted given the limited footprint of these sets.

Edited December 8, 2021 by alvinofdiaspar

[Maple]

55 minutes ago, alvinofdiaspar said:

Personally I am not so hung up on the hotel only providing a bathroom for the suite - the modulars have always taken their liberties with it (skipping bathrooms, having only the toilet, etc).  I find illogical - if not downright a absent - staircases to be more of a bother, but it is just something to be accepted given the limited footprint of these sets.

The bathroom issue isn't a big deal to me, however LEGO could have easily added them to the left side that looks funny next to every modular. Plus there is no back door under the stairs to get to the trash can.

[alvinofdiaspar]

13 minutes ago, Maple said:

The bathroom issue isn't a big deal to me, however LEGO could have easily added them to the left side that looks funny next to every modular. Plus there is no back door under the stairs to get to the trash can.

They probably couldn't - without throwing the wedge-shaped theme of the build entirely out of the window on a single 32x32 baseplate.  I mean this image from Lego (via Jay's Brick Blog) sort of illustrates the geometry and the limitations:

Edited December 8, 2021 by alvinofdiaspar

[crowe-k]

I feel like an elevator instead of stairs may have allowed for a bit more space to add at least a shared bathroom on the second floor. Maybe it is just wishful thinking...

[alvinofdiaspar]

6 minutes ago, crowe-k said:

I feel like an elevator instead of stairs may have allowed for a bit more space to add at least a shared bathroom on the second floor. Maybe it is just wishful thinking...

It would, though you'd still need some space for internal circulation for any floor with more than 1 room.  I think the low floor height for the 2nd and 3rd floors might be driven by the lack of space in the stairwell to enable a larger amount of vertical travel.

As to elevators - I always find the implementation by TLG hasn't been that great (e.g. TH modular).

I do wish Lego move more to a 32x32 + 16x32 arrangement, if even it is more expensive.

Edited December 8, 2021 by alvinofdiaspar

[Maple]

16 minutes ago, alvinofdiaspar said:

They probably couldn't - without throwing the wedge-shaped theme of the build entirely out of the window on a single 32x32 baseplate.  I mean this image from Lego (via Jay's Brick Blog) sort of illustrates the geometry and the limitations:

You literally just stick the bathrooms in the 5 stud wide square section in the back behind the stair cases. It wouldn't do anything to change the shape of the front.

[alvinofdiaspar]

6 minutes ago, Maple said:

You literally just stick the bathrooms in the 5 stud wide square section in the back behind the stair cases. It wouldn't do anything to change the shape of the front.

It "might" work - though keep in mind the angle of the wedge is established by the slopes of certain specific pieces and I am not sure if you can simply extend it easily without having it extend beyond the limits of the base plate (have to look at the instructions to get an idea).

Edited December 8, 2021 by alvinofdiaspar

[Aanchir]

53 minutes ago, crowe-k said:

I feel like an elevator instead of stairs may have allowed for a bit more space to add at least a shared bathroom on the second floor. Maybe it is just wishful thinking...

Yeah, I feel like that's a little optimistic — while the lobby stairs are certainly very large, the stairwells for the other floors are much smaller. And also, unlike a stairwell, an elevator shaft would also require a hallway in order to connect to both guest rooms.

45 minutes ago, alvinofdiaspar said:

As to elevators - I always find the implementation by TLG hasn't been that great (e.g. TH modular).

Yeah, I'd definitely like to see another Modular Building with an elevator, especially now that wheelchairs are becoming increasingly common in other themes. A properly wheelchair-accessible modular with ramps and/or elevators where necessary would be a great future addition to the series.

Also, I feel like in the decade since the release of Town Hall, there have a lot of new parts introduced that could potentially open up new elevator design possibilities.

[Lyichir]

I like the idea of adding a rear door under the staircase! That'd probably be a simple enough modification to make, given that it'd mostly just involve replacing some of the bricks from the wall.

[alvinofdiaspar]

28 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

Yeah, I'd definitely like to see another Modular Building with an elevator, especially now that wheelchairs are becoming increasingly common in other themes. A properly wheelchair-accessible modular with ramps and/or elevators where necessary would be a great future addition to the series.

Also, I feel like in the decade since the release of Town Hall, there have a lot of new parts introduced that could potentially open up new elevator design possibilities.

Excellent point about accessibility with wheelchairs - I also want to see a quasi-functional escalator for modulars (unlike the fake one in GE) - New Elementary covered it a little:

https://www.newelementary.com/2021/10/lego-element-development-escalator-link.html

Edited December 8, 2021 by alvinofdiaspar

[TeriXeri]

Friends has 2 sets with elevator for 2022 (1 is a rope winch, one is a sliding mechanism), City has an elevator/winch on the Space Rocket tower. 

I can see another elevator in a modular certainly possible, just this building was already split in 2 builds and with a special shape, I think it'll work better in something taller.

And then there's another elevator option using the 32 length technic axles like LEGO has done an elevator in 3368: Space Centre as far back as 2011.

Or perhaps something tooth/gear based based on the long used but still in production 1x4 gear rack.

Edited December 8, 2021 by TeriXeri

[Hippocampe]

On 12/7/2021 at 10:36 AM, 1992pb said:

So, since I was curious too, and taking advantage of a slow morning, I created in stud.io a digital model of the exterior of the Grand Hotel. I used as a reference all the photos provided in the various reviews online. I then downloaded from the digital forum a .lxf file of the Parisian Restaurant. Once put one besides the other, I made a couple of renderings:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

I may try this with other modulars too, but first my computer needs to cool down before it catches fire  

Thank you very much for the perspective: if you’re as skillful with your computer as with your Legos, you surely must create great MOCs ! I also think that placing the BH adjacent to PR is the logical and aesthetical thing to do: the styles and eras are similar; also, we could say that the BH is almost a « double corner » modular since it has windows on the top level on three sides; since the terraces of each set kinda face each other, it allows some space for a better view (nice chimney of PR, beautiful cosy terrace with palm tree of BH)

Edited December 9, 2021 by Hippocampe

[Lion King]

Not not elevator for wheelchairs, a blind person with assistance dog use elevator too. 

I’m a deaf-blind AFOl here, and I keep using elevators but i use stairs as well. Just saying. 

[BrickFit26]

An elevator could have been possible if they used that empty space in the back that they left with a dumpster.

Meanwhile, does the Boutique Hotel have its own forum page yet?

Edited December 9, 2021 by BrickFit26

[ddavid]

24 minutes ago, DBlegonerd7 said:

Not not elevator for wheelchairs, a blind person with assistance dog use elevator too. 

I’m a deaf-blind AFOl here, and I keep using elevators but i use stairs as well. Just saying. 

Wow, that’s interesting! Sorry for my ignorance, but how do you decipher the building instructions or brick colors?

[Lion King]

19 minutes ago, ddavid said:

Wow, that’s interesting! Sorry for my ignorance, but how do you decipher the building instructions or brick colors?

Not at all! I’m glad that’s a good question you have. :) 

I hate the idea of giving up my fun hobby as my vision declines gradually. So - I usually ask my realtives or frinds to help me build. For example, I had instruction displayed on my ipad and someone can see what kind of parts we need to build. After collecting specific parts, they wouldguide my hands to build. I am feel someone move my hands over parts so I would know where to arrange a brick. It’s quite helpful! :)

[chezzymann]

On 12/7/2021 at 9:36 AM, 1992pb said:

So, since I was curious too, and taking advantage of a slow morning, I created in stud.io a digital model of the exterior of the Grand Hotel. I used as a reference all the photos provided in the various reviews online. I then downloaded from the digital forum a .lxf file of the Parisian Restaurant. Once put one besides the other, I made a couple of renderings:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

I may try this with other modulars too, but first my computer needs to cool down before it catches fire  

Do you have the ldd file? I'm planning on extending the height by 2-3 bricks to be "standard" modular height. Its too short imo.