Modular building poll results

Poor Market Street. I voted for it because it was the first one I ever built, so I've fond memories of it being my introduction to the modulars. I remember buying it along with Café Corner, Green Grocer and the (non-modular) town plan that was out at the time in a bumper multi-purchase from the Lego shop website. Aw, when they were all available to buy at RRP, good times. :)

I think Town Hall suffers from the same problem as the Palace Cinema: there isn't much detail in it. It definitely is better than the Palace, but it still doesn't compare to the Parisian Restaurant and onward.

I voted palace cinema because its the only modular I own,and its stunning in person so its nice to it high up the list.

I've voted for the Parisian Restaurant because from those I've built it's my favourite. With GE a close second. I think the CC looks great, but I don't own it nor have I built it so I can't really include it - maybe this explains a bit why it is ranked so low, if not that many people who voted actually own it... Although this contrasts with the high ranking of the AS, unless loads of people bought and built it within the couple of weeks it has been out.

Just goes to show you can prove anything with statistics, all depends on your interpretation ;)It would be interesting to see if people could vote for a top three, or even rank all of them (with a different weight to each score) what would be the result then?

I did find this poll interesting and fun to do and it's just a nice change from news and reviews, I like this new feature! Thanks

No surprise at the top 4, the Brick Bank is lower perhaps as its just a bit plain compared to some of the others. CapnRex is spot on- The Palace Cinema is the kind of set that appeals to more than just Lego fans and sits on many desks of uni lecturers, teachers, movie fans and others.

Can't wait for the next poll, great addition to the site!

To be honest, the results were expected. I figured the newer ones would be higher because more people have them. The Brick Bank is low because the set as a whole lacked any standout features. I voted for the detectives office but I'd say the Parisian restaurant is a good fit for number one modular.

It's an interesting poll, though people like myself could participate more than once on the voting process so some fixes might be needed (every time I can back to visit the page it allowed me to vote).

I didn't vote as I had only built the emporium and have 5 others in boxes ready to be built. Have since built pet shop which was great to build but doesn't look as impressive as the emporium.

Perhaps the poll also reflects the growing popularity of modular buildings too? I wonder how many people have the complete set to make a choice from. The PR set was a step change internally so that's why it got my vote, but the café corner and market street were pretty groundbreaking in their time (although I've had to create internal scenes for mine).

I have all modular buildings (except Market Street) and I can confirm the results of the contest.
Only one observation: perhaps Cafe Corner was better than others. It paid the little internal details but the ingenious and innovative building techniques were great!

The Palace Cinema is quite visually striking, which may be one of the reasons why it's popular. I have to agree with the top ranking for the Parisian Restaurant though.

The only thing that surprises me is how high up Green Grocer placed, considering it's one of the older ones that can't really compete with the new ones as far as build intricacy and details go.

The bank suffers like the town hall does, the subject matter isn't as interesting. The bank is still a great set, loads of beautiful stuff goes in it, but at the end of the day it's still a bank. It doesn't rile your imagination the way a movie theater or a detective's office does. In my opinion.

I actually have a bit of a problem with the Bank, and it has nothing to do with size. The first level is almost too modular - modular in the sense that it is built in disparate segments (modules) that dont really lock into one another so it's not as self-stable. For all Town Hall's faults, the overlapping 1x8 bricks make it very sturdy. Same with Cafe Corner. I love the aesthetics of the Bank but it is a flawed set in some regards.
I am surprised Cafe Corner didn't rank higher. Though there's no interior, it is a stunning set visually, in my opinion. I think the thing holding it back is its scarcity and cost, but I pieced mine together using Pick a Brick, Bricks and Pieces, and Bricklink for the discontinued parts. It's easily doable, just time consuming. Cost a couple hundred bucks but it beat the two grand that the MISB examples command (and then just reappear on eBay cause no one is that frivolous with their money). It's massive and imposing and is, in my opinion, exactly what a modular should be. I think the newer ones have traded heft for playability. Parisian Restaurant is the perfect blend of the two. My Assembly Square is yet to be built but having looked at it firsthand it is very, very cool.

I'm shocked the Town Hall is as low as it is. I suppose Customer sentiment toward it might have something to do with it - the sting of many not being able to buy it before it was quickly discontinued and the subsequent high price in the aftermarket perhaps soured many peoples thoughts on this? Personally, it is one of my favorites and I had the GE, PS and FB prior to this but once I bought the Town Hall I was hooked to the modular theme - so for me there is a specific reason. As for the Assembly Square and it's high initial ranking I assume much of that is surrounded by the buzz of it being the newest edition to the modular theme - I agree, the same question and/or poll next year might be indicative and then you have a previous poll to compare against.

I don't know if the results will be as different as you might expect. I think the results are skewed towards the newer ones due to people not having many of the older sets. I don't think that's going to change in the next calendar year. Most of the Assembly Squares I ring out are to AFOLS. Kids (or adults just getting into the modulars) tend to start with either the Cinema or Restaurant. You'd be amazed how popular the cinema is with younger kids - it's usually the one that they specifically request, when they do ask.

What I would like to see is some way to poll the people who voted on which sets they actually own: I would be shocked if the sets that individual voters actually owned didn't directly line up with what sets that they voted for. I.e, not many people who don't have a Cafe Corner are going to vote for a Cafe Corner. But, this is a comments thread, not a discussion forum, so that's something for another place and time.

I voted for the Pet Shop. I love the apartment above it with the loft. It was the first modular I purchased so that might be part of it.

It's not just that people voted for the newer Modulars because that's what they have. I don't own the older Modulars because I don't care for them. I looked at them, I have even seen them in person, and had the money to buy them, but they didn't interest me. The Parisian Restaurant was the first Modular that I bought because I thought it was a beauty (and the one I voted for).

The fact that the older Green Grocer is pretty high up on the list - even higher than some of the later Modulars - also supports that people didn't just vote based on what's new and what they have, but what they actually like. Why would anyone buy a set they don't like? (This is sort a response to MrJackson above, and others, who are saying that the date is skewed by what's new.)

I've built all modulars bar the latest 3 and would sign-off on the above ranking almost word for word.
- Market street requires no comment really
- Café Corner is a semi-inspiring build, with flimsy tower that easily falls off, zero interior, and street details that also easily fall apart (low play value). In terms of construction techniques, looking at more current building techniques CC’s are really not overwhelming.
- Town Hall is built over a totally non-inspiring theme (except maybe for the girls that dream of having a prince who will marry them), and as a building is just plain and square block. Boring build except for some exterior details on the ground. Cleaning guy with a ladder as play value? Give me a break… Same as CC, completists want them so price = demand/availability rather than quality imho.
- Grand Emporium is starting to be an interesting build, especially the exterior ground floor, and interior staircases. The theme is generic so has wide appeal, however I find the interior seriously lacking. Grand department store with no interior walls and super small number of “stores”? That being said, some of the interior details are really great (i.e. chandelier)
- Pet Shop: Yes it has two building so yes it’s a bargain for people running on budget. Also who does not like a pet shop? At the same time, not the most interesting build + not specifically beautiful exterior + relative lack of interior detail (top floors) make it a meh overall. Tied with GE
- Fire Brigade is where things started to be interesting for me. Exterior detail is just magnificent and the build was engaging, also the interior top floor is fun. I really liked this one, though play value is somewhat limited as the ground floor is very “deep” so very hard to reach down with hands. Car is a bonus for some people also. This one for me is a keeper.
- Green Grocer is definitely one of my favorites despite the age. Brilliant exterior, protruding windows, big terrace with the barbeque on the top floor, passageway on the ground floor, improvised curtains, great color, I just love this one
- Palace Cinema was an interesting build and a theme with wide appeal, good play value, but too many stickers for my taste in a set at this price point. I would put Green Grocer ahead though.
- Parisian Restaurant takes the top spot definitely, very interesting build and unusual design. Key highlights that caught my eye after completing the build were the side design, on the right side where a window was placed below the stairs, creating a possibility to have this set as “end of the street” / quasi corner building. Also, this is the only build where the roof is not flat but rounded, which makes it really stand out in the street.

I look forward to building the AS, BB and DO once the next 2xVIP kicks-in. That being said, its unlikely for any of them to better the PR – Bank is an uninspiring theme, and both DO and AS look like a load of cramped small rooms.

All that being said, there is really no bad modular, we are just being spoiled with choice and perfectionist. Each one has its own nice sides and I don’t regret time or money in collecting and building them.

Personally I doubt that the popularity of the Parisian Restaurant has anything to do with "hard" facts (like piece count, used parts, release date, size, building techniques, ...).

I believe that it is so popular because it sparks our imagination. It represents a very nice, peaceful, and idyllic scene. It is a place where we, as "big figures", would like to sit and enjoy a sunny day or a mild evening in the summer. In the end, it is a manifestation of our positive images, built in Lego.

I'm surprised and pleased that Palace Cinema has done so well; opinion in the form tends to run against it, but it's the only one I've felt that I absolutely had to own, and I suspect a lot of other movie geeks have felt the same way. It's interesting that, as per a comment upthread, it has strong appeal to kids - presumably they're more likely to have pleasant associations with a cinema than with some of the other types of building...

This was a jolly good idea!
I posted my thoughts on each modulator on the submission page.

PR was obviously going to win, as was DO coming 2nd or 3rd. Assembly Square i would have expected a tad lower and i am very surprised at how low Fire Brigade and Brick Bank got. I just built PC and the interior detail is horrible. Town Hall had way more interior detail. Green Grocer had great outside detail but very little inside, I have no idea why it got so high.

I think the fact that relatively few people own the early modulars explains why they ranked relatively low. I own them all except Market Street, and I believe Green Grocer is the best of the bunch, by far.

These are display models. They have very little play value, and interior detail is fun to do, but mostly wasted. You enjoy it during the build, and then you never see it again. Not that I don't appreciate it, but the outside facade is the most important as far as I am concerned. Green Grocer has the most aesthetic appeal for me.

As for Town Hall - a huge but boring set. Not worth it.

This was an easy choice for me. I own the Green Grocer, Fire Brigade, Grand Emporium, Pet Shop, and the Parisian Restaurant. I look forward to owning the Assembly Square. I don't have much interest in Market Street, Cafe Corner, and Town Hall. One son wants the Palace Cinema, the other wants the Brick Bank and Detective's Office. The Parisian Restaurant details are far above any other – the architectural and interior details, love the roof line, how the roof opens for access to the artist's studio, the stairways that wrap around the building, the layout and execution of the restaurant, the color choices, and even the minifigure assortment. Fire Brigade was a close second as it was a fun build.

One comment, Huw – in future polls, could you include a link that goes directly to the poll results without having to vote? I voted twice (voting irregularity!!) because I wanted to check back on how the results were shaping up. Thanks and I liked this poll.

I'd have to say that while cafe corner really started the wave, it's lack of interior detail really lets it down, although at the time their response was that it was down to the builder to personalise the interior. Green grocer was the highlight for me as it was the first to bring in interior features while looking brilliant. It was the first to have real playability and display value. That was the only reason I bought it over CC at the time.

Assembly square IS number one in my opinion. Firstly, all sets designed by Jamie Berard takes the top spots no matter what. I don't know how Lego would do without him. I don't know how any Creator collector would do without him. He keeps pushing the ball further and further down the field every single year and the designs become increasingly complex yet so aesthetically pleasing. He IS the Michaelangelo of our time. All the sets are so playful yet so quaint and picturesque. Parisian restaurant is beautiful but the Assembly square's top floor has a dining area AND a bakery, dentists office, art studio, music shop, flower shop, cafe shop, dance studio and more. How can any set beat something like that? It is literally jammed pack and a collector's dream come true. We've all wanted more packed into a set and he consistently delivers. Now, he's gotten hundreds and thousands of fans waiting for his releases every year.

I mean... to each their own... but for me, I know I can save money when a non-modular Jamie set comes out, because I find nothing appealing about his overly-crowded, overly-flashy builds. I don't need 102 cool building techniques just for the sake of a cool building technique if the end result is going to come out looking like Parisian Restaurant, Fairground Mixer, Assembly Square, etc. I've begrudgingly bought most of his modulars because I'm a completionist, but man are they aesthetically unappealing.

Ironically, in spite of generally not being a fan of any of his builds, Fire Brigade is one of my favorite sets period... to the point that I was dumbfounded when I learned that Jamie had designed it.

I own all the Modulars from the Fire Brigade on. Although that one wasn't my first modular, it is the one I voted for.
I never understood the fascination out there for the Parisian restaurant. Sure, it is a great model with wonderful pieces, colours and building techniques. But on the other hand, it is wat too fiddely and shouting 'look at me how special I am'.

I loved how the modulars were more of an XL and somewhat more sophisticated version of the general and city sets. And this is what shows great in Fire Brigade, Emporium, Pet Shop and Town Hall. And while the sets from Parisian Restaurant on are still marvellous models, they lack the soul and ethusiasm present in the older ones and focus mainly on showing off in a way.

I am still a fan of the Modulars and will keep on buying them. But when a lack of space kicks in, it will be the recent ones that will become shelved in favour of the older ones.

By the way, regarding the poll, it would indeed be far more correct as to the results if polls like this would make corrections for the sets owned as well for the amount of 'screen time' more recent sets have over older ones.

Palace Cinema should definitely NOT be higher than Green Grocer. They're from totally different planets - no, galaxies. I really wish TLG brought back GG; people would be amazed if they saw it.

I don't have any of them, but looked them over with great interest each time a new one came out. I voted Parisian Restaurant because I recalled being wowed by it when it came out, more than any of the others.

I wondered how they would rank based on Brickset owners "own" and "want" entries. Totally non-scientific poll, but I thought it would be interesting.

Brickset members who say they "own this set".

10218: Pet Shop 16466 own this set
10232: Palace Cinema 14449 own this set
10211: Grand Emporium 13806 own this set
10243: Parisian Restaurant 13659 own this set
10197: Fire Brigade 12044 own this set
10246: Detective's Office 10916 own this set
10224: Town Hall 10112 own this set
10251: Brick Bank 6809 own this set
10185: Green Grocer 6425 own this set
10182: Cafe Corner 5055 own this set
10190: Market Street 3050 own this set
10255: Assembly Square 1091 own this set

Brickset members who say they "want this set".

10182: Cafe Corner 8975 want it
10185: Green Grocer 8578 want it
10197: Fire Brigade 6200 want it
10224: Town Hall 6191 want it
10211: Grand Emporium 6026 want it
10243: Parisian Restaurant 5429 want it
10246: Detective's Office 5065 want it
10190: Market Street 4887 want it
10251: Brick Bank 4884 want it
10232: Palace Cinema 4880 want it
10218: Pet Shop 4862 want it
10255: Assembly Square 4634 want it

Some very close ones in "want it".

I wish I could graph it.

(EDIT: Also wish it would keep the spaces right. Had nice columns before the spaces got removed.)

First of all, loved this new vote thing. Second I own almost all the modulars except the three expensive one and l've seen them in person. I voted for the PR cuz it edged out others in that it is quit unique. It has rounded roof, unlike flat top roof of many others. Roof opening up in the back, sets it apart from the rest. And I feel it even has a very appealing look from the back of the building too. Also PR is the only one that can be used as both middle and corner building(and still look good).

Huw,
I am interested in a poll in terms of Playablity, Exterior looks, Interior looks, Possibility to modify, Building technics, new features. I think the results could be very different!

I voted Detective Office because I figured many would vote for PR. at least I wanted to help DO reached second place. I have all the modulars and had assembled all of them except the assembly square. I'm surprised CC hold such a low rank as I thought appearance wise CC is equal to PR. Granted, it is empty and in term of technique, is less than other modulars; however, since it is the first modular you can't compare it apple to apple with PR who has the adventage of time passage.....