The LEGO Creator Modular Buildings is a fantastic series many LEGO fans love to collect and display. LEGO has been releasing one new set each year, and with the most recent #10260 LEGO Creator Downtown Diner, we are up to thirteen buildings in the collection. Collecting, building, and displaying the LEGO Modular Buildings is a rewarding hobby in itself. More adventurous LEGO fans will go even further by customizing the interior and exterior of the buildings, and even design and build their own structures compatible with the Modulars. This can eventually lead to designing brand new structures that fit the style of the LEGO Modular Buildings. 🙂
A LEGO fan whose custom LEGO Modular Buildings I really like goes by the name Bricked1980. He started out with customizing some of the official LEGO Modular Buildings, which eventually led to designing his own structures from scratch. The picture below features the official #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop, and the #10243 LEGO Creator Parisian Restaurant, with a custom post office sandwiched in between.
The British-style building has a split layout, with two structures sitting on a 32×32 baseplate (standard for the LEGO Modular Buildings). In between the buildings, there is a shared stairwell, which can be accessed from the street. This is how minifigs can reach the upper floors. There is also a small square at the front with sitting arrangements and a flowering tree. Both buildings follow similar designs as the official LEGO Modular Buildings; decorative stonework, windows with white frames, window box planters with flowers, and somewhat muted colors.
The late 1950s post office is the main attraction, but there is also a fish & chip shop, a mail sorting room, a café, and a generic business office. They are spread out between the three floors of the two buildings. (You might have figured out by now that Bricked1980 is British.) While the spaces are small, they are tastefully decorated with realistic details. Here, I included some pictures, and you can find a lot more at Bricked1980’s flickr gallery. Also, there is an old style mail van that can pull up to the post office to pick up mail and packages.
While in the first pictures the post office was placed in between two official sets, Bricked1980 also designed two other buildings; a convenience store (using parts from the #31036 LEGO Creator Toy & Grocery Shop, #31050 LEGO Creator Corner Deli, and #31065 LEGO Creator Park Street Townhouse), and a British pub named The Queen Bricktoria. You can see all of the buildings together in the picture below, and find more images of the interiors and exteriors at Bricked1980’s flickr gallery.
If you would like to experiment with designing your own structures, it is a good idea to start with one of the official LEGO Modular Buildings to learn advanced building techniques, techniques for decorations, layout ideas, color matching, etc. You can redecorate some of the spaces, change colors, add extra stories to the buildings and/or widen them, and make other modifications. All of these prepare you to eventually being able to design your own structures from scratch. You can find the currently available sets at the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.
Also, if you like Bricked1980’s building style, you may want to take a look at his project at LEGO Ideas, featuring a classic steam-powered traction engine. If you like to see it as an official LEGO set, make sure you support it with your vote: THE OLD WORKSHORSE – TRACTION ENGINE
What do you think? How do you like these custom LEGO Modular Buildings? Do you collect the Modulars? Have you ever customized them or added your own buildings to the layout? Feel free to share your thoughts and own experiences in the comment section below! 😉
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