LEGO® Modular Buildings Complete Beginner’s Guide
So you keep seeing those gorgeous LEGO modular buildings lined up on shelves across Reddit and Instagram, and you want in. Good. You picked the right rabbit hole. These sets have been pulling Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) deeper into the hobby since 2007, and the collection keeps getting better every single year.
This guide walks you through the full story, from what makes these LEGO modular sets special, to which current sets deserve your money, to tips for displaying them like a pro.
What's So Special About LEGO Modular Buildings?
LEGO modular buildings are large-scale, highly detailed building sets designed for teens and adults. Each one represents a different real-world structure (a hotel, a jazz club, a museum, a corner pub), all built at the same minifigure scale. The hook is that every set connects to the others through a standardised baseplate and sidewalk system. You buy one, then another, and suddenly you have an entire city block sitting on your desk.
The series kicked off in 2007 with Café Corner (10182), a set that blew the doors open for what LEGO could offer adult builders.
Café Corner introduced ideas like double-thick walls, brick-built lettering, and repurposed parts (the entrance archway was built from ski pieces – yes, really). Since then, LEGO has released a new modular building nearly every year. The collection now stands at 21 sets as of early 2026, with the newest being the Shopping Street (11371).
What separates LEGO modular building sets from regular LEGO City sets is the sheer level of detail. These are 2,000 to 4,000+ piece builds. Floors lift off individually so you can peek inside. Interiors are fully furnished. Hidden Easter eggs connect one set to another across years of releases. And the building techniques are trickier and more rewarding, which makes the build itself half the fun.
Why Collectors Can't Stop Buying Them?
The interconnectivity is addictive. Once you own two LEGO modular sets and clip them together, the street starts looking real. A third set fills in a gap. A fourth makes it a neighbourhood. Before long, you're rearranging furniture to make room for more baseplates.
LEGO designers also weave hidden callbacks between sets, references to older modulars tucked into new ones. A doughnut from a retired retired Police Station bakery shows up in a museum gift shop. A piece of wall art in a hotel traces back to a character in a set released years earlier. Hunting down these connections becomes its own hobby within the hobby.
Retired LEGO modular buildings also skyrocket in value. Sets like the Green Grocer and Café Corner now sell for thousands on the secondary market. That makes buying current sets feel less like a splurge and more like an investment, or so we tell ourselves.
Which LEGO Modular Buildings Are Still Available in 2026?
If you're just getting started, these are the LEGO modular sets you can grab from LEGO right now. Each one brings something different to the street.
Shopping Street (11371)
Released in January 2026, the Shopping Street is the latest entry in the collection. It packs 3,456 pieces and 7 minifigures into a 32x32 baseplate. Two separate buildings, a music shop and a furniture store, are divided by a central alleyway, a layout that's a first for the series. The design draws from historic European architecture with angled walls and ornate facades. Above the shops, you'll find a carpenter's workshop, a furnished apartment, and a rooftop garden with a pigeon coop. At $249.99 / €249.99 / £229.99, this one plays with negative space between buildings in a way no previous modular has attempted.
Tudor Corner (10350)
The 2025 release quickly earned a reputation as one of the strongest modulars in years. This 3,266-piece corner building brings Tudor architecture to the collection for the first time. Inside, you'll find a ground-floor pub (LEGO calls it a restaurant, but come on – it's a pub), a haberdashery stocked with hats and umbrellas, a clockmaker's workshop with grandfather clocks, and a cosy attic apartment. Eight minifigures bring the scene to life, including a chef and a chimney sweep. At $229.99 / €229.99 / £199.99, the Tudor Corner delivers incredible character and some genuinely clever building techniques in its half-timbered walls and steeply pitched red roof.
Natural History Museum (10326)
This 4,014-piece set was the first museum in the modular collection. Built across a wider footprint (32x32 plus 16x32 baseplate), it features a Brachiosaurus skeleton towering through the atrium, astronomy exhibits, a gift shop, and brick-built dual skylights on the roof. A minifigure of the actual set designer hangs off the exterior as a window washer – one of the best hidden Easter eggs in the series. At $299.99 / €299.99 / £259.99, it is one of the pricier entries, but the piece count and display presence justify it.
Jazz Club (10312)
The 2023 entry in the modular lineup, the Jazz Club, gave modular city residents their first proper night out. The main building houses a jazz stage on the ground floor, an office on the second, and a practice room on the third. Tucked beside it is a small pizzeria with a tailor shop above and a rooftop greenhouse. Eight minifigures include a jazz singer, a bassist, a drummer, and an audience ready to enjoy the show. With 2,899 pieces at $229.99 / €229.99 / £199.99, the Jazz Club adds mood and atmosphere that most other modulars don't attempt.
Boutique Hotel (10297)
Built to celebrate 15 years of LEGO Icons modular buildings, the Boutique Hotel stands out through clever triangular geometry in its floor plan – one of the first modulars to break away from strict right-angle construction. It also introduced new sideways building techniques to the series at the time. The hotel reception includes a typewriter from the Police Station and a coffee mug from Café Corner – callbacks spanning over a decade. The 3,066-piece build runs $229.99 / €229.99 / £199.99 and includes 7 minifigures across five furnished sections, plus a neighbouring art gallery and outdoor coffee cart.
How Does the Modular Baseplate System Work?
Every LEGO modular building set adheres to a common standard, keeping the street looking unified. All modulars are mounted on 32-stud-wide baseplates and come in two formats: straight modulars, which sit between other buildings, and corner modulars, which sit at 90-degree intersections. Sidewalks line up from one set to the next. Connectors at the base snap buildings together. Each floor lifts off separately, making interior access easy for display adjustments or play.
How Should You Display a Modular Buildings Collection?
Most LEGO modular sets measure around 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep, so a standard bookshelf won't cut it past two or three buildings. Deep shelves (12 inches or more) work best. IKEA's KALLAX and BILLY lines are popular choices in the community. For a full city layout, a dedicated table or wall-mounted shelf system gives you room to extend the street.
Keep your modulars away from direct sunlight – UV exposure fades colours over time. Enclosed display cases with glass doors reduce dust, the number one ongoing maintenance hassle for large LEGO displays.
And if you want to take your display to the next level, add Lights for LEGO® Modular Buildings. LED light kits designed for these sets illuminate interiors, make storefront windows glow, and turn your modular street into a showpiece after dark. The wiring hides behind walls and threads through brick gaps, so the clean look stays intact. It's one of the easiest upgrades that makes a dramatic visual difference, especially when several LEGO Icons modular lines are assembled together.
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What to Know Before You Buy Your First Set?
Here are a few lessons nobody tells you before you drop $230+ on your first modular.
📌Start with whatever set excites you most. There's no wrong entry point. You don't need to start with the oldest available set or the cheapest one. If the Tudor Corner grabbed your attention, start there. Each set is a complete, satisfying build in its own right.
📌Sets retire after roughly 2-3 years. LEGO keeps a modular building in production for about two to three years before retiring it. Once it's gone, aftermarket prices climb fast. If a set interests you, don't sleep on it.
📌Budget for the hobby, not just one set. Once you build that first modular and see it sitting on a shelf looking gorgeous, the second purchase isn't far behind. Many collectors space out purchases over months, grabbing one set per quarter or so.
📌The build time is substantial. These aren't afternoon builds. A typical modular takes 8-15 hours, depending on your pace. That's part of the appeal – they're meant to be a relaxing, long-term building experience.
FAQ
What was the first LEGO® modular building?
Café Corner (10182) launched the series in 2007 after fan feedback requesting more architecturally detailed, minifigure-scale buildings. It's long retired and commands steep premiums on resale sites.
How many LEGO® Icons modular buildings are there?
As of early 2026, there are 21 official LEGO modular buildings, from Café Corner (2007) to Shopping Street (2026). LEGO releases one new set per year.
Can you connect all LEGO modular buildings?
Yes. Every set uses the same baseplate connector system. Corner builds go at intersections, straight builds fill in between, and sidewalks align automatically.
Are LEGO® modular buildings worth the money?
For the building experience, detail level, and display value, most AFOLs consider them among the best LEGO sets available. The price-per-piece ratio is competitive with other premium LEGO lines.
Which LEGO® modular building should I buy first?
Whichever one appeals to you most. The Tudor Corner (10350) and Natural History Museum (10326) are both excellent first purchases. The Shopping Street (11371) is the newest and has years left before retirement.
Can I add lights to my LEGO® modular buildings?
Absolutely, and it makes a huge difference. Lights for LEGO® Modular Buildings from Game of Bricks fit within existing brick gaps, don't damage bricks, and let you daisy-chain multiple buildings from one power source.
Do LEGO® Icons modular buildings come with minifigures?
Each set includes multiple minifigures, typically 6 to 9, many with unique printed details or accessories.
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