Tag Archives: Modular Buildings

LEGO Icons Modular Buildings Collection 10326 Natural History Museum – A mammoth modular indeed! [Review]

The first time I was ever able to go to a LEGO store, I walked out of there with a modular set. I was on a work trip to the Seattle area back when I lived in Indiana, and I remember being so excited driving back to the hotel from Bellevue with 10211 Grand Emporium sitting in the backseat. I knew that it would still be weeks until I would be back home building it, but I couldn’t care less. Since then, the Modular Buildings Collection has had a special place in my heart. And while I’m not the kind of builder to keep them all assembled on a shelf, I still see them as the pinnacle of architectural design at minifigure-scale. So, with the impending release of the new LEGO Icons 10326 Natural History Museum, let’s see how it measures up to the rest of its kin. With 4,014 pieces, this is the largest of the modular buildings to date. It’s currently available for pre-order on the LEGO website, with release on December 1, retailing for US $299.99 | CAN $389.99 | UK £259.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Go on a guided tour of the new museum below!

10326 LEGO Icons Natural History Museum revealed as the next modular building set [News]

After 18 previous installments, the next LEGO modular building has been debuted online. And with 12 more pieces than 10255 Assembly Square, 10326 LEGO Icons Natural History Museum will be the largest modular building to date. The set includes 7 minifigures (not counting two statues), an adorable pug, and an array of museum displays including a solar system model and removable brachiosaurus skeleton. Clocking in at 12″ (31 cm) tall, 14.5″ (38 cm) wide, and 9.5″ (25 cm) deep, the museum fits right in with other modulars like LEGO Icons 10312 Jazz Club and LEGO Modular Buildings Collection 10297 Boutique Hotel. Available for pre-order today, 10326 LEGO Icons Natural History Museum will be available from LEGO.com on December 1, and will retail for US $299.99 | CAN $389.99 | UK £259.99

Explore the museum below!

LEGO Icons reveals 10312 Jazz Club as next in Modular Buildings Collection [News]

Today LEGO Icons has announced the next set in the Modular Buildings Collection will be 10312 Jazz Club. The 2,899-piece set features a Jazz Club, a pizzeria, a managerial office, a tailor’s workshop, a dressing room, and a rooftop greenhouse, along with eight minifigures. It will be available starting Jan. 1, 2023, for US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99.

Click to see more of 10312 Jazz Club

Schedule a stop at the Station Hotel

From near and far, this world and any other, all are welcome at the luxurious and grand Station Hotel. Builder Andrew Tate delivers yet another lushly decorated building, this time in the form of an ornate, four story hotel inspired by Victorian-era architecture. Built at modular scale but sure to dwarf most other buildings that LEGO has designed, this massive corner hotel’s interior may remain a mystery to most looking up at its windows but for those that take up residence within its halls, it is sure one of the most luxurious accommodations Earth has to offer. Black roofing atop the penthouse suite contrasts the dark red brickwork while complimenting the golden filigree and details worked in above the street windows.

The Station Hotel

As the intrepid young traveler we see approaching the entrance has learned, not every Earther is welcoming to extraterrestrial guests such as himself. Thankfully, he’s stayed at the Station before and has known most of the staff, including Howie the doorman, for many cycles. On top of that, since the fountain outside of the hotel’s entrance is a common gathering spot for locals and tourists alike, he’s enjoyed becoming part of such a welcoming community.

The Station Hotel

Looking at the rest of Andrew Tate’s work, I can tell that he’s great at exteriors and interiors alike. As such, I hope one day we’ll get to see the interior of this beautiful hotel. Minifigure me can always dream of his own life of LEGO luxury, can’t he?

Corner bakery really takes the cake

Many LEGO builders pay homage to the very popular Creator Expert modular building sets, with good reason. They are full of architectural details, bright colors, and playful slice-of-life scenes. This corner bakery by Tong Xin Jun is a wonderful build inspired by a real-life painting. But while the overall look may seem fairly simple, if you take a closer look you will see many details that show off a lot of interesting techniques.

Corner Bakery

On the ground floor, the windows show racks of freshly-baked loaves of bread and pies. The balcony above the door is made from upside-down curved slopes. But I think my favorite detail is the inverted sloped above the second-floor windows. which are paired with modified plates with slope in a way that seems to fit perfectly.

A genius Medieval Modular Street. Or is it ingenious?

As it turns out, I’m a genius. Do you know how I know? I took one of those online quizzes that said, “only geniuses can solve this puzzle.” I solved it in no time, and fifty clicks later, after giving them my date of birth and credit card info, they told me I was a genius, so in your face, jerks! Once you recover from that sick burn, you might take a look at this new LEGO Midievel Modular Street built by Peeters Kevin who is clearly an absolute genius and not just because the internet says so. This is chock full of thoughtful details, from the archways to the ramshackle roofline. Even the little birdhouse is genius. Or is it ingenious?

Medieval Modular Street

Click to find out more

LEGO Gift with Purchase 40532 Vintage Taxi – Let our friendly driver take you for a ride! [Review]

LEGO recently celebrated 15 years of their City Modular Building Collection with the stunning 10297 Boutique Hotel. Now they’ve unveiled a new set that seems to slot right into that downtown area.  LEGO 40532 Vintage Taxi will be available as a Gift With Purchase from LEGO Shop Online. While LEGO has yet to officially confirm the promotion details, it’s rumored to be available starting January 28th with qualifying purchases of US $200 | CAN $200 | UK £200. This 163-piece set comes with a driver, taxi stand, and a very sweet-looking ride. But is it worth the price of admission? Come along and see for yourself!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early, non-embargoed copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

From Hogwarts to the University of Cambricks, an alternate build for 71043 Hogwarts Castle

Alternate builds for LEGO sets have long been part of the fun. When I was a kid, I remember loving to see the variants featured on the back of the box. As a young fan of LEGO, it inspired me to look at that box of bricks in a different light — to try my hand at my own alternates. Twenty years later, I can count myself amongst a crowd of LEGO fans devoted to alternate builds. Though you can find all sizes of re-imagined sets, few are as ambitions as builder Lucas Bolt and his Modular variant of the microscale 71043 Hogwarts Castle. Inspired by the magic school aspect, Lucas created the University of Cambricks to fit perfectly on the corner of a LEGO Modular city street.

The University Cover

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The Temple of Technology demands your time

This kinetic LEGO structure by Sheo has presented a rare instance in which I’d rather not flap my piehole about it and allow the creation to speak for itself. It’s called the Temple of Technology and is part of a series of modular buildings Sheo has constructed.

Temple of Technology

I can assure you the magic of this creation is best seen in motion so be sure to watch the video. That use of the clock hands is just brilliant!

Taking modular buildings to the next level.

LEGO’s line of modular buildings have been captivating fans of larger, more advanced sets since 2007. Naturally, the line has inspired plenty of fans to create their own buildings to stand alongside LEGO’s offerings. Builder Sheo has taken custom modulars up a notch by producing a modern building with a working glass elevator.

Simple Building

Have a look at the video below to get a peek inside and watch the elevator in action.

The houses of blues

This is a street that makes me feel the opposite of the blues! Kristel Whitaker built a collection of identical townhouses inspired by the colours of the world’s oceans – and also LEGO’s many blue colours. Titled “Ocean Drive”, this build is not only the modular houses but an immersive scene of its residents. The children – currently on summer holiday – are playing outside with the cats while their grandma sits on the front steps. The others come and go, both for work and leisure, and the resident flamingo watches the neighbourhood amongst the flowers. Life is good in the big city.

Ocean Drive

I love how this is reminiscent of London’s famous Portobello Road, which features similar Victorian-terrace houses. Each of LEGO’s common blue colour looks good – especially teal! This scene radiates a certain warmth, both because of the inclusion of light aqua and medium azure, and also the flowers in each garden. I also like the architectural detail of white flowers in the crest that separates the first and second floors. It’s definitely a street that I would love to live in!

Check out more of Kristel’s lovely builds here!