The best LEGO® Modular Buildings over the years

In 2007, we welcomed a brand new line specifically aimed at one of our favorite communities: the Adult Fans of LEGO® (AFOLs). We wondered whether it was possible to transfer the popularity of the 'modular' LEGO castles from the 1980s to a completely new expandable urban development concept.

We are of course talking about the LEGO Modular Buildings. The series was a hit from the very first set and new sets are eagerly awaited all over the world.

What makes LEGO Modular Buildings so popular is that you can simply own one set, but also build your own city by combining several.

This year we released a brand new set for fans to add to their collection: the first-ever LEGO Icons Natural History Museum.

The LEGO Icons Natural History Museum is the latest Modular Building to add to your city. It is a captivating place where science and history enthusiasts can enjoy fascinating exhibitions. With its two floors, it is our largest LEGO Modular Buildings set to date!

To celebrate its release, we're taking a look back at some of the older sets from this popular series.

A wonderful start

It all started in 2007 with the Café Corner set. Did you know that a LEGO fan was allowed to provide feedback during the design phase of this set and that this resulted in a number of changes?

More floors!

Because additional space was needed for the garage, the Fire Brigade set was the first modular building to be divided over two floors.

And the prize for the highest goes to...

With a height of approximately 50 cm, Town Hall is the tallest set ever from the collection. It is also the only set with a real working elevator.

Fun fact: the date on the Town Hall set is not only the birth year of the founder of the LEGO Group, but also the year of birth of the set designer.

Why do LEGO Modular Building sets remain so popular? We asked some AFOLs from around the world.

“It creates a very realistic atmosphere that reminds you of the buildings in your own environment,” said Allan Rodriguez, a member of a LEGO User Group (LUG) in Costa Rica. “They're just normal people going about their daily tasks.”

Just like with any other LEGO set, creativity and play are never far away here. “I like building a city myself,” says Carlos Avila Arquin, a member of the same LUG, with a smile. "Then you can pretend you're the mayor yourself!"

Most LEGO parts (until recently) ...

Before the new LEGO Icons Natural History Museum was released, the 2017 Building Set had the most parts: a whopping 4002! The Building Set was created in honor of the 10th anniversary of the series and is the first Modular Building with a base larger than 32x32 studs.

For Tricia Halverson Lenski, an AFOL from the US, the sets are a way to share fun times with her husband. In the meantime it has even become a real tradition.

"We always make a big display of Modular Buildings for the holidays that we leave up for about a month. The first year we turned it into a real exhibition and everyone loved it. I think 1,200 people came to see it!"

A hotel in honor of the 15th anniversary

In 2022 we released the LEGO Boutique Hotel to celebrate fifteen years of LEGO Modular Buildings. But this is not just any hotel. It's one of the first modular buildings to have a triangular shape... and it contains some hidden references to previous LEGO Modular Buildings.

Can you hear the music yet?

Meet the 2022 LEGO Jazz Club, the first music-themed building in the series . With several rooms spread over three floors, a stage, a band dressing room and even a pizzeria, the set guarantees an immersive building experience.

Plus, there are eight new faces to discover! The set includes minifigures of a jazz singer (the main character in the story), a bassist and a drummer, plus music lovers in the audience!

Like the other modular buildings, this set also has connection points on the side to easily connect the club to other models (sold separately). Useful!.

A new attraction

After checking into the LEGO Boutique Hotel and reserving a table at the Jazz Club, guests can fill their day with local sights and a visit to the city's newest cultural hotspot: the LEGO Icons Natural History Museum.

In the museum you will find all kinds of exhibitions that introduce you to the past, present and future of the world. The building has a beautiful historic exterior with buildable double skylights that flood the space with light.

There's plenty to discover inside, including a huge brachiosaurus skeleton in the atrium, a room dedicated to planets and the universe and much more. This set is the perfect gift for history and science lovers and a great addition to the LEGO Modular Buildings collection for 2023. Museums are fantastic! The roof of the set can be lifted for easy access to the interior.

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