The LEGO Modular Buildings Collection is one of the longest running series and is beloved by fans – here are the biggest builds that the designers have delivered.
LEGO Modular Buildings are about to celebrate 20 years since the series debuted with 10182 Café Corner, a model that wowed fans in 2007. Since then, one new set has been introduced each year to extend the street. They all have the same connection points, so you can configure them in any order you like.
Unlike typical LEGO buildings that have open backs, the modular buildings are fully enclosed. You remove the roof or an entire storey to discover the fully furnished interiors that reveal minifigures living their lives.
The Modular Buildings Collection has been part of several themes through the years – Advanced Models, Creator Expert and now Icons. While the box art and style may have changed, the collection has always delivered a huge variation of styles and locations, from hotels and boutiques to restaurants and museums. Creative Lead Jamie Berard’s original vision has gone further than he could have imagined.
Whether you have been collecting since the theme kicked off with 10182 Café Corner in 2007 or are just starting your foray into the modular world, here are the biggest sets ever released…
5. 10297 Boutique Hotel
There have been plenty of shops and restaurants in the Modular Buildings Collection, but when minifigures need a rest then they can rest their blocky legs at the elegant 10297 Boutique Hotel, which uses an impressive 3,066 pieces.
It has a very striking combination of colours – light nougat, brick yellow and sand green – on the main building that is cleverly positioned off grid in such a way that its shape is completely unique on the street. 10297 Boutique Hotel has several hotel rooms in the unusually shaped space, including a penthouse suite with a king bed and claw-foot bathtub.
The ingenious triangle form allows for a tiny art gallery alongside it, with references to various LEGO icons inside, including the iconic Creator Expert emblem. External stairs lead up to a small veranda where there is a palm tree and space to enjoy a drink.
4. 10350 Tudor Corner
Tudor architecture is known for its steep gables and half-timbered walls, often black and white, and is one of the UK’s most iconic styles of building. Structures from this time can be dated between 1485 and 1603. 10350 Tudor Corner captures the look in 3,266 pieces – the use of sideways building for the brick-and-wood façade is very effective. A traditional looking pub further reinforces the British connection.
As this is a LEGO set, it is strictly speaking a restaurant rather than a pub. ‘The Old Guarded Inn’ sign above the door references the beloved 1986 set 6067 Guarded Inn. In addition to the eatery, the set features a haberdashery, a clockmaker’s workshop and an apartment.
3. 11371 Shopping Street
11371 Shopping Street uses 3,456 pieces to capture a European style of architecture that is reminiscent of the winding streets of Paris. Like 10297 Boutique Hotel, it builds with some absolutely brilliant angles to give the sense of a place that has been built up over time rather than master planned.
Model Designer Hoang Huy Dang combined clever element choice, sideways building and greebling to convey balustrades, columns and decorative curlicues. Windowsills are filled with flowers and there is a little rooftop aviary where the set’s pigeons live. Colourful flags and awnings contrast with the sand green and dark tan walls.
The left hand building has a music shop in the bottom and Brickleys is full of instruments for sale, all intricately built from tiny elements. Across the street, the other building houses a furniture shop – and the sale sign indicates that the classic LEGO chair is out of fashion, with fancier furniture clearly the choice for modern minifigures.
In the small alley between the building, there’s a leak that needs to be fixed… let’s hope the plumber is up to the task.
2. 10255 Assembly Square
10255 Assembly Square was released in 2017 to celebrate a decade of modular buildings and is deservedly massive at 4,002 pieces. The set sprawls over multiple baseplates to create a bustling plaza with a fountain surrounded by three buildings. Each structure has a distinctive visual style.
On ground level minifigures can find a coffee shop, a florist and a bakery, then discover a music store, a dance studio and a dentist’s office on the upper level. It pays homage to previous models, with references including a special 2×3 tile decorated with the box art for 10182 Café Corner and awning inspired by that original model.
This is the last modular building to include the classic minifigure face with two dots for eyes and a single line for the mouth. The baby, with modern decoration of the face, is a subtle indicator of the change that occurs in 10260 Downtown Diner.
1. 10326 Natural History Museum
The largest modular building is 10326 Natural History Museum, which uses 4,014 pieces to build a historical looking building. To convey the grandeur of the institution, Senior Model Designer Chris McVeigh designed it to be wider than a typical entry in the series. Minifigure statues and grand columns flank the entrance.
The main atrium features a massive diplodocus skeleton inspired by the famous Dippy who greeted guests at London’s Natural History Museum for decades. The prehistoric exhibitions also includes a smaller fossil of an ammonite and the remains of a sabre-toothed lion.
The museum is also exhibiting geology and space displays that depict the evolution of the universe. On the top floor there is a history section with suits of armour and ancient weaponry from classic themes Pirates and Space.
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