Tag Archives: Modular Buildings

Shine on you crazy diamond (store)

The Enchanted Diamond by Maxim Baybakov is a LEGO ode to “studs not on top” construction. The entire front façade is based on a very clever inversion of arch bricks with lovely insets of 2×2 turntable bases. I’m also fond of the column that flank the lower windows. The unusual texture there is thanks to Technic gearshift connectors. The roof has a great technique as well, with layers of dark blue 2×2 and diagonal tiles forming an intricate pattern. The end result is very upscale, as befits a high-end shop.

Maxim also creates a nice little story with the minifigures – it looks like someone is busy casing the joint. It might be easier to just follow along behind the other folks and pick up their costly litter…

Maxim is well on the way to building the perfect downtown district. The Enchanted Diamond would look great nestled between the barber shop and bookshop.

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This post-apocalyptic Green Grocer is falling apart

With the world seemingly ending at the moment, Keith Reed took the opportunity to recreate what the iconic Green Grocer will look like once the apocalypse actually does come. And that look is decaying, faded, rusty, decrepit, crumbling, and rot. That many words are needed to describe just how many different ways this building is falling apart.

The signature sand green walls have faded to olive green. The siding of the building has eroded, the horizontal slats in behind are expertly represented by the underused side of masonry bricks. Huge chunks of the walls have fallen off and the windows are smashed. The fire escape and awning frame are rusted. The rooftops are pock-marked. Nature has started to reclaim the building, with plants sprouting through the sidewalk and vines climbing inside. But one man remains a stalwart holdout, down to his last square of toilet paper.

A slick Sanctum for Stephen Strange

I’m a sucker for superhero movies. I love the superpowers, the epic explosions, the over-the-top bad guys, and even the mysterious hideouts that shelter the heroes. One such hideout is Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum (Latin for Holy of Holies), a building on Bleeker Street in New York City that serves as both a storehouse for mystic artifacts and a node for protecting the Earth from enemy attacks. Anders Horvath has built a beautiful rendition of the Sorcerer Supreme’s lair, in the style and scale of LEGO’s Creator Expert modular buildings. In fact, it would fit right into your collection at home. It is based on official LEGO set 76108 Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown but upscaled to a point where it is a whole new thing. The interior is lovely, too, so you should check out the album on Flickr. I love the appearance of a microscale Disney Castle, as well as the different weapons on racks. Based on the residents, I’m not positive the Masters of the Mystic Arts still use the place (though they left behind an Infinity Stone), but at least you can get a sandwich or slice of pizza next door!

Bookmark this Bookshop

LEGO recently added a bookshop to their line of modular buildings. That’s a fun set, but if you’re like me, you’d never be satisfied with just one corporate Birch Books bookstore in your town. You also need the sweet goodness of an indie store – they always stock the more interesting volumes. Happily, builder Maxim Baybakov has created a masterful bit of competition with Once Upon A Book. This modular-style building is full of fun details and avid readers.

Click here to learn more about Once Upon A Book bookshop…

Your guide to 153 new LEGO sets now available for 2020, including City, Technic, Star Wars, Architecture and more [News]

2020 has arrived and the floodgates of LEGO have opened with 153 new sets available today. Fans of Star Wars, Technic, Ninjago, City, Architecture, Creator 3-in-1 and even the new Trolls product line have a lot to choose from. The new modular Bookstore is available today as is a new white baseplate. Nearly every LEGO theme has some new sets–it can be a lot to process!– so we have your complete guide right here detailing each and every new set and item.

Some regions have seen these sets on shelves already, but now they are all available online. There are a few sets that really stand out to us, and you can see the complete list of all 153 sets and items after the jump.

See the entire January 2020 wave of new LEGO sets now available

Learn the secrets of 10270 Bookshop from LEGO designer Wes Talbott [Video]

LEGO Master Designer Wes Talbott and LEGO Graphic Designer Tore Harmark-Alexandersen sat down to give a tour of the new Creator Expert 10270 Bookshop. In the video, they show off the set, play features, minifigures and give some insight on some nifty details hidden inside.

Some of the revelations include that two of the minifigures are based on Wes’ parents, and that the street address of the Townhouse is actually the internal number indicator for the color Teal which Wes lobbied to have return to the LEGO color palette after a long absence.

10270 Bookshop will be available from LEGO beginning January 1st for US $179.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £149.99.

LEGO Creator Expert Modular for 2020 revealed as 10270 Bookshop [News]

LEGO has revealed the upcoming Creator Expert Modular for 2020 as the 10270 Bookshop. The set comes with 2,504 pieces which create a pair of three-story buildings similar to 10218 Pet Shop from 2011. The model features the “Birch Books” bookstore and an accompanying Townhouse. The Bookshop comes with five minifigures and two animals including a chameleon and a blue bird.

10270 Bookshop will be available from LEGO beginning January 1st for US $179.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £149.99.

Click to take a closer look at the new LEGO modular Bookshop

Not a drab grey brick in sight

If there’s one thing that sets today’s LEGO elements apart from those of the past, it’s the wide range of bright colors found in modern sets; they expand upon the original LEGO primary color palette with stunning diversity. Many of these colors are only available for a limited assortment of parts. This digital model by Pau Padrós uses some great new parts like this brick with a half arch first released in 71043 Hogwarts Castle, and this rounded brick in colors LEGO has not released yet, but we can hope that maybe someday, they will. The model features an angled facade and plenty of unconventional construction that orients the LEGO stud in several directions within a single structure.

Lounge in this library with style

Libraries are more than book repositories; they also provide educational services and activities for their surrounding communities. Thanks to Łukasz Libuszewski’s, the little citizens of LEGOLAND can now enjoy everything a library has to offer. It looks both modern and inviting, complete with enough glass to let the sunshine in. The library sports a modular design, in which sections can be removed to reveal the service desk and bookshelves. Especially impressive is the motorized glass elevator. Be sure to watch Łukasz’ video to view the library from all angles, the interior and elevator in action. You might even want to sign up for a library card!

Yeah, I’ll have a dozen of everything!

You may have seen the LEGO modular building sets, the newest being the 50s Downtown Diner and the Corner Garage. More than a dozen have come out since 2007, and while each is unique, they follow a certain set of rules. Once mastered, builders can use them to imagine new modular buildings of their own to construct a cohesive town layout. Diabetics may want to turn away now because you’re about to watch a writer lapse into a sugar coma as Tong Xin Jun has rendered the perfect doughnut shop to sweeten any town layout. Here Eastern meets Western design elements, as many buildings do in crowded cities. The left section of this modular boasts the aforementioned doughnut shop (mmmm doughnuts) and the apartments above are adorned in rare sand red while the right side sits a cozy Asian noodle shop.

Each floor lifts for maximum playability within, and like all good modulars should be, each interior space is well appointed. The added sun rays in the last photo adds warmth to this cozy and inviting interior. I can just smell the fresh-baked doughnuts wafting through the air.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to be alone with an entire box of doughnuts. Don’t judge me, I am not proud of what I am about to do. Go check out the builder’s photostream or something or better yet, here is a previous time we featured this same builder. Now go on, stop gawking at me. I am not an animal, I am a human being!

This custom modular building is bananas!

Modular buildings, whether they’re sets or custom creations, are very popular in the LEGO fan community. They can be admired as standalone creations or as parts of larger town layouts, but there is something in every modular for every LEGO fan. Kofi says this is his first modular, but he does not seem to have struggled at all.

The first key feature to note is that while the two adjacent houses are quite dissimilar, they feel like they fit together perfectly. A modular building is not a true modular building without clever repeated part use for architectural detail. Kofi uses clips and wedge plates for these purposes, but the real star of the show is the houses’ “accessories”, namely the drains, built using everything from medium dark flesh bread pieces to different sorts of lightsaber hilts. Look closely and you may even spot a banana.

Business is budding at Bricks & Blooms

Sometimes I wish I could water my LEGO collection, give it some sunlight, and watch it grow. After harvesting the bricks, I would build this beautiful garden centre designed and rendered by Bricked1980. It fits right in with the LEGO Group’s existing series of modular buildings. The builder has made excellent use of color, with vibrant green vines and shrubbery set against the architecture’s earth tones and white trim. I particularly like the sunflower hanging above the entrance, as well as the use of lime green minifigure afro hair for topiary bushes

Click to see more details about Bricks & Blooms