Best LEGO® Modular Buildings through the years

Back in 2007, we welcomed the arrival of a brand-new line aimed at one of our favorite communities, the Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs). We wanted to see if it was possible to take the fans’ love of 1980’s castle ‘modularity’ and add it to an entirely new expandable house concept.

This, of course, was the LEGO® Modular Buildings, and since its very first set, it went on to become incredibly popular, with new sets eagerly anticipated around the world.

This year, we have released a brand-new set for fans to add to their collection: the first ever LEGO® Jazz Club.

The appeal of LEGO Modular Buildings is that you can own just one set or build an entire world by combining different ones.

The LEGO Jazz Club is the newest hip hangout to add to your brick-built street and it’s extra special because it’s the second modular LEGO set centered around entertainment (the first was the LEGO Palace Cinema in 2013). Modular fans, your town is about to get a lot more fun!

To celebrate its launch, join us as we take a trip down memory lane and look back at some past sets from this much-loved franchise...

Delicious beginnings

Adding levels!

Due to the extra space needed for the garage, the Fire Brigade was the first modular to be spread over two floors.

The tallest award goes to...

The tallest ever set was the Town Hall measuring almost 20 in. (50 cm) high, and the only one to offer an expandable elevator.

Fun fact: The date shown on the Town Hall was not only the birth year of the LEGO Group’s founder, but also the birth year of the set’s designer when read backwards.

The most LEGO pieces...

Assembly Square (2017) has the highest piece count with 4002 pieces. It was specially released for the 10th anniversary of the franchise and is the first Modular Building to be larger than a 32x32 stud base.

The 15-year anniversary building

In 2022, we released the LEGO Boutique Hotel to celebrate fifteen years of LEGO Modular Buildings. But this isn’t just any hotel. It’s one of the first modulars to feature a triangular geometry... and it also contains hidden Easter eggs that honor LEGO Modular Buildings of the past.

Your guests can drop their bags with the bellhop before checking in with the concierge in the fully tiled lobby. Then they can select one of three different sizes of room including a luxurious penthouse on the top floor.

Can you hear the music pumping?

Now say hello to the LEGO Jazz Club, the first music venue as part of the collection. The set makes for an immersive building experience featuring multiple rooms across three floors with a stage, the band’s dressing room and even a pizzeria.

Plus, there are eight new faces in town! The minifigures include a jazz singer (the central character of the story), bass guitarist and a drummer, plus music fans in the audience!

Like the other Modular Buildings sets, there are connectors on the side that are easy to slot into other builds (which you can buy separately)... so, enjoy!

The global village

But what is the enduring appeal of LEGO Modular Buildings sets? We asked some AFOLs from around the world to find out.

But, as with any LEGO set, creativity and play are never far away. Carlos Avila Arquin, a member of the same LUG, says: “I like that you get the chance to build your own city,” he says with a smile. “You can pretend that you are the mayor!”

For Tricia Halverson Lenski, an AFOL based in the US, the sets were a way for her and her husband to spend quality time together. In fact, it’s become quite the tradition.

“We do a large holiday display, and we display them for about a month. The first year we opened it up to the public, and they loved it. I think we had 1,200 people come through our little show.”

So, join us as we celebrate sixteen years of LEGO Modular Buildings with our brand-new set...