The LEGO Group is rumoured to be debuting a residential modular building later this year, so here are six different architectural styles that might have inspired its design.
Fresh rumours from reliable Instagram user a.clay.brick suggest that the successor to 10326 Natural History Museum will be 10350 Residential Townhouse, plugging a gap in the Modular Buildings Collection that has so far only been filled by half of 10218 Pet Shop and 10270 Bookshop. The 3,266-piece set is said to debut on December 1 for $229.99, making it likely the largest 32x32-stud modular building to date.
That set name doesn’t give us much to go on at this stage, and even the ‘townhouse’ moniker might only be a placeholder rather than literally referring to a specific architectural style. With that in mind, here are six different iconic types of townhouses and residential buildings that could inform the next LEGO modular building (if these rumours pan out as expected).
Georgian townhouses
Constructed in the 18th and early 19th centuries between the reigns of King George I and VI, London’s iconic Georgian townhouses have already appeared in LEGO in recent years thanks to the LEGO Harry Potter theme. A LEGO modular building that incorporates a couple of these tall and often-slender terraces would go above and beyond 76408 12 Grimmauld Place, though – with plenty of room for architectural flourishes, if not colour.
Colonial-Revival houses
Described as ‘one of the most enduring examples of American architecture’, Colonial-Revival homes were all the rage in the 1940s, featuring influences from Spanish, Dutch, French and British designs. Their shuttered windows, varied rooflines and more fanciful detailing could all make for a striking LEGO set, though this one feels a little less likely if only because it’s hard to imagine a Colonial-Revival house sandwiched into a modular street.
Bay-and-gable houses
The LEGO Group has already tackled Canada’s iconic bay-and-gable houses in 10270 Bookshop, so revisiting that concept so soon is probably not on the cards. On the other hand, we’re due a new corner building (unless the LEGO Icons team breaks the subtheme’s long-held pattern of two straight buildings followed by one corner building), so trying out this style on a corner could serve up something new and interesting.
Victorian terraces
Let’s imagine for a moment that 10350 Residential Townhouse really is going to buck the trend for modular buildings and introduce a third consecutive straight-edged building. (And why not: 10326 Natural History Museum already broke the mould with its 48x32 footprint, a size only previously seen for the 10th-anniversary 10255 Assembly Square.)
In that event, the LEGO Group could feasibly turn to Britain’s Victorian terraces for inspiration, packing a couple of buildings (that could be split apart and rearranged, a la 10270 Bookshop) into a single set. And given that its rumoured set name is not yet confirmed, there’s nothing to say this couldn’t actually be 10350 Residential Townhouses, plural…
New York City brownstones
New York City’s iconic brownstone rowhouses feel like a perfect fit for the Modular Buildings Collection right out of the box, and in fact elements of the style can be found in 10218 Pet Shop’s residential building. And while many brownstones are multiple-occupancy buildings split into several apartments, examples of single-family brownstone townhouses do exist, so this would also fit the set name as rumoured.
The only real hang-up is the colour, which would likely be a bit too drab for this series – especially right after the olive-green museum.
San Francisco’s painted ladies
The LEGO Icons team has previously revealed that it considers the most recent modular buildings when landing on the colour scheme for the next one, so perhaps the likeliest inspiration for 10350 Residential Townhouse is San Francisco’s painted ladies. Indeed, a.clay.brick’s original rumour post features an image of these Edwardian and Victorian houses, which are typically repainted in at least three colours to highlight their architectural details.
If the LEGO Group wants to keep its modular buildings colourful (and offer something more eclectic than 10326 Natural History Museum’s relatively muted olive green), this really feels like the way to go. A pair of painted ladies could also offer a good opportunity to introduce more of the LEGO Group’s pastel shades to the Modular Buildings Collection, while that beefed-up piece count could even allude to additional parts to customise the colour of your painted ladies when buying multiple copies.
Of course, the most likely prospect is that 10350 Residential Townhouse will take inspiration from a bunch of different architectural styles to come up with something unique, so we could be looking at a mash-up of any and all of the above.
We’ll hopefully find out more about the next LEGO modular building from official sources within the next couple of months, as it’s currently slated to hit shelves on December 1, 2024. For now, take all rumours around its specific identity with a grain of salt.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links.
Comments
Be the first to comment!