Tag Archives: Modular

LEGO released 10182 Cafe Corner in 2007, setting a new standard for large-scale modular buildings. Since then, LEGO has continued to release new structures in the modular building series — 10190 Market Street, 10185 Green Grocer, 10197 Fire Brigade, 10211 Grand Emporium, 10218 Pet Shop, and 10224 Town Hall as of 2012. Meanwhile, LEGO fans have adopted the “Cafe Corner standard” and built hundreds and hundreds of beautiful buildings that fit with the official sets. See some of the best here on The Brothers Brick.

Announcing 10230 Mini Modulars – Cafe Corner returns in microscale! [News]

LEGO has just announced an intriguing new set that brings together nearly all of the modular building series, going all the way back to the classic 10182 Cafe Corner — 10230 Mini Modulars. The set is due out in January 2012, and will only be available to LEGO VIP Program members.

The set comes with 1,356 pieces and will retail for $80 in the States. It includes Cafe Corner (of course), Market Street, Green Grocer, Fire Brigade, and Grand Emporium. I guess we’ll have to wait for the recently released Pet Shop until later (or build your own!).

We’ve seen LEGO fans create mini/microscale versions of these sets for years (including Matthew Raehl’s mini modular street, mumu’s pre-release micro 10182, and many more), but it’s great to see an official LEGO take on this concept.

See lots more photos in the photoset on Flickr.

Here’s the complete press release from LEGO:

10230 Mini Modulars

Ages 12+. 1,356 pieces.
US $79.99 CA $99.99 DE 69.99 € UK 59.99 £ DK 649.00 DKK AU $119.99

Available only to our LEGO® VIP Program Members, this exclusive mini modulars set is an authentic miniature representation of the first 5 buildings in the Modular Building series: Café Corner, Market Street, Green Grocer, Fire Brigade and Grand Emporium. Featuring highly detailed design, each building can be displayed as a stand alone piece or connected to the others buildings in the set. The mini Café Corner includes details like a fan above the doorway and printed hotel signage, while the mini Market Street includes transparent bricks and a unique brick construction. The quaint mini Green Grocer also features transparent bricks and a fire escape at the rear, while the mini Fire Brigade includes a brick bell and white arch wall elements. Finally, the mini Grand Emporium has a rooftop sign, skylight and window washing platform. With fantastic detailing and a huge variety of elements in a range of rich colors, this exclusive mini modulars set is the perfect addition to every VIP Member’s collection.

Exclusively available to LEGO® VIP Members!

Authentic miniature representation of first 5 Modular Buildings: Café Corner, Market Street, Green Grocer, Fire Brigade and Grand Emporium!

Each building can be displayed individually or connected to the other buildings in the set!

All buildings feature fantastic detailing and a wide variety of elements and colors!

Completed model measures over 5″ (14.5 cm) tall, 12″ (32 cm) long and 2.5″ (6.5 cm) wide!

Each individual building measures 2.5″ (6.5 cm) long and 2.5″ (6.5 cm) wide!

Watch this space for a video message from the LEGO designer who created this set.

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Le Maison de Many

Valgarise built this lovely modular structure as a birthday present for his friend Many. It has a complete interior, but what sets it apart for me is the pair of windows on the upper floor.

Slope brick wall texture

Lego.Skrytsson‘s modular house shows an interesting and useful technique. Take a look at the sand red wall and note how the builder used slanted slope bricks to create a unique texture. These two shots reveal more about how it’s done.

LEGO® Exclusive 10218 Pet Shop – Hi-res photos and video

UPDATE: 10218 Pet Shop was released on the LEGO Shop online today.

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We just received the official press package from LEGO on the 10218 Pet Shop. There are some great high resolution photos of some new pieces (love the printing on that kitty!). There’s also a nice video with Designer Jamie Berard explaining the set!

Here’s the press release from LEGO:

10218 Pet Shop

Ages 16+. 2,032 pieces.
US $149.99 CA $199.99 DE 149.99 € UK 119.99 £

Continuing the LEGO® Modular Buildings series, this highly detailed, 3-story Pet Shop building and townhouse with full internal and external detailing is the perfect addition to your LEGO town. Greet customers with a menagerie of pets and let them treat them with a selection of toys and supplies. The pet shop building features a hinged staircase for easy access, upper apartment with kitchenette and upper loft overlooking the open plan interior below. To the side, the tastefully appointed townhouse features a detailed ground floor with accessories and spiral staircase leading to the upper floor. The attic space features storage boxes and French doors leading out to an elegant front balcony, while the rooftop garden, complete with fresh vegetables, brightens up the rear of the building.

Includes 4 minifigures with accessories: pet shop owner, girl on bicycle, painter with paint roller and woman!

Pet shop includes dog, cat, 2 parrots and fish tank with goldfish!

Also includes 3 dog bones, ball, frog toy, birdhouse, bucket and brush!

Kitchenette features stone fireplace, stove, sink, coffee maker and small table and chair!

Upper loft features skylight, bed and lamp!

Townhouse features ground floor with mailbox and mail, hat rack, couch, telephone, toilet and access to basement crawl space!

Measures 11″ (25.5cm) wide and 10.5″ (26.5cm) high!

Combine with other modular buildings, like 10197 Fire Brigade and 10211 Grand Emporium!

And here’s Jamie Berard:

10218 Pet Shop coming on May 10th

You can look forward to getting the next Cafe Corner modular town building on May 10th. Meanwhile, Flickr user Tazmandvl1 got one early, so you know what to expect when you put down that $150.

Modular minis

This is not a lineup of LEGO’s Cafe Corner buildings but rather a downsized one. Matthew Raehl (Puddleglum-) has recently finished miniature versions of these popular LEGO sets. Here are more picture of mini Grand Emporium, Green Grocer, and Fire Brigade.

LEGO Ararat in 1972

I’ve just returned from Brickvention 2011 where I had an absolutely awesome time. I’m waiting for more photographs to appear on flickr before I give a proper roundup but there were some excellent LEGO models there.

In the interim I’ll write something about what Mike Pianta (scruffulous) and I displayed: a diorama based on the (presently flooded in) town of Ararat in Victoria, Australia as it was in the year 1972.

Mike and I started planning this about three months before the event. Our goals were ‘simple’: keep the level of accuracy and detail high, include a large curved track, and work off the grid as much as possible. Not the easiest set of goals but not impossible. I feel like we did manage to achieve them.

However we had one further problem: Mike lives in Melbourne (where the exhibition is) and I live 1800km away in Brisbane. Which meant my contributions also had to be modular enough to survive a plane trip. This was OK until, just days before I was due to go, my city was flooded leaving me wondering if I’d ever make it out.

To cut a long story short I did make it and I got very lucky with the baggage handlers who helped my models survive largely intact. Phew! Anyway, that’s probably all you want to hear about it here. If you have any further questions ask here or on flickr.

And as for the floods: my friends and family are all fine, my girlfriend got stuck on holidays for an extra three days by a flooded road and the city is a mess. Luckily the loss of life in Brisbane was very low but some nearby towns were destroyed by an ‘inland tsunami’ which killed many. Still, compared to those in Rio state we got off lightly.

EDIT: Mike now has videos.

Crimson Permanent Assurance

When I first saw the Crimson Permanent Assurance section of Monty Python’s Meaning of Life when I was a kid it simply blew my mind. This Cafe Corner standard version by gotoAndLego does the same.

It’s a pretty imposing structure and fairly close to the appropriate architectural features for the building. I would find this thing crewed by elderly clerks driven mad quite intimidating if it drifted past my office.

Abandoned museum

Many Cafe Corner style buildings begin to look the same after a while, but not this one by Barney Main (SlyOwl). I haven’t seen many dilapidated buildings, so it’s always refreshing to see something so old (as in run down). The bars on the windows are a great effect despite being simulated from tape. The mannequins inside are just creepy, and they probably come to life at night.

This post brought to you by the color Dark Red

Dave Sterling shows dark red some modular love with this lovely city corner building, which illustrates the kinds of realistic, repeated patterns you can achieve by using many of the same parts.

Click through to MOCPages to see this beauty light up the night.

Where people shop and stuff is being shopped

It seems like each release of a LEGO modular building inspires lots of lovely new buildings designed by fans. The recent release of Grand Emporium is certainly no exception, as this beautiful “IZ Emporium” by Sebastiaan Arts (Aliencat!) proves:

Don’t miss all the pictures on MOCPages.

A leisurely lunch, and then to mail some postcards

This gorgeous Cafe Corner building by Johan van den Heuvel (Teddy) makes me want to shrink down and live above the cafe and post office.

The building has a full interior, so be sure to check out all 30 photos on Flickr.