Review: 10246 Detective's Office
Posted by Huw,
The release of a new modular building has become a much anticipated event over the last few years. On 1st January, 10246 Detective's Office will be available, a year after the release of the last one, 10243 Parisian Restaurant.
Rumours that the next modular would be a 'detective's agency' were circulating in the summer and many speculated that it might be based on 221b Baker Street but when images were leaked following the set being sent to brand stores to construct ahead of the Good Friday shopping events, it was clear that this wasn't the case. The press release published shortly afterwards provided more information about it together with a designer video featuring Jamie Berard. It's worth taking a look at that if you haven't already because some of the features of the building are explained in it.
The LEGO CEE team has kindly sent us one to review, so read on to see if it should be on your wanted list. In response to criticism levelled at my multi-part reviews, I've posted it as one long one, so make yourself comfortable...
Box and contents
Pictures of the box were the first images of the set that we saw back in November but it's worth adding them here to remind you how it's packaged. The box is smaller than those of most modulars, such as the Pet Shop, Cinema and Town Hall, although I don't have the Parisian's Restaurant box to hand to compare it with. That's not necessarily a bad thing of course. Note the new 'Expert' logo in the corner.
The parts are in bags numbered 1 to 4. The 174-page perfect-bound instruction manual is sealed in a bag, but without a piece of card in with them. There seems to be a move towards one thick perfect bound manual rather than mutiple thinner, stapled ones in recent large sets; presumably it's a cost cutting exercise.
I believe this is the first time a 32x32 baseplate has appeared in brown. Does it need to be brown? As you'll see, probably not. Dark grey would have been more appropriate but nevertheless it was great of Jamie to provide us with a baseplate in a useful new colour.
Construction - ground floor
Bags numbered one provide parts for the pool room. There are a few notable parts in them, which in hindsight would have been better photographed on a darker background.
When I opened the instructions I was expecting to find a sticker sheet but I am very pleased to tell you that there isn't one: all windows and tiles are printed, as you can see below. The dart board print is new. The other tile has appeared before but is uncommon.
There are only a couple of brand new parts in the set although there are plenty of old parts in new colours. One of the new parts is a 2x2 round tile with stud in the middle, in white. I am sure this will have a lot of uses, like the 2x2 round tile with hole that was introduced last year does. The 4x4 domes are not new but are uncommon and are new in dark green.
As has become customary in recent modular buildings, the ground floor of the building has a tiled floor. In the pool room, it's a dark green/tan/blue carpet.
I'm not entirely convinced by the pool table, particularly the pockets, but it's a good effort and, knowing Jamie, I suspect it's the best that could be done at this scale.
The light and ceiling fan, which uses minifig snow shoes for the fans, is a neat feature of the room. It can be twisted out of the way to gain access to the table below. The new 2x2 round tile is used for the table top in the corner of the room.
Here's the other side of the room showing the dart board and trophy cabinet. I reckon actually playing pool would be a bit of a challenge given the clearance between the table and the walls...
The front of 'The Highlander' looks excellent and the pillars constructed from Technic axle joiners with ball joints at either end add a lot of interest to the design.
Bags numbered two contain parts for Al's hair salon. It is in these that are presented with the second new part in the set: scissors. I believe this is the first set that silver cup cakes/finials have appeared in.
Mid-way through construction the salon is taking shape, complete with chair and sink.
Another interesting part, which I didn't notice at first, is the mirror. I didn't notice it because it has a protective layer of paper on it which has to peeled off to reveal the mirror. It's the same size as the panes that fit 1x4x6 window frames at the front of the salon and is held in place using plates with rail top and bottom and 1x1 bricks with vertical handle at the sides. It was difficult to photograph in-situ but you can just about see it reflecting the chair and floor in the picture below.
The stairs are hinged to provide access to the salon below.
The SNOT-work for AL'S shop sign is very cleverly done. I'll let you discover how when you build it.
I can't say I've ever seen wigs on display in the windows of salons round my way but they look quite cool.
One thing I haven't mentioned about the ground floor is the secret passageway used to smuggle cookies into the pool room, apparently. Take a look at the designer video to find out the reasoning behind it!
At this point, I'll mention something that I've not noticed before about the instructions: the parts added in the step are outlined in red. I presume this is new for 2015 although looking at PDFs of other 2015 sets it doesn't seem to have been done in others. I'm not sure if I like it to be honest, although if you're like me and pick the parts you need based on what's being added rather than from the call-out parts list, I guess it will be useful.
Construction - first floor
Bags numbered three provide parts for the first floor, which houses the detective's office and toilet. The appearance of paint roller handles in black has caused much excitement among MOCers.
The toilet is built first using two shades of light blue and looks excellent. The paint rollers are used for the outside lights.
With a toilet, wall mounted cistern and sink, it's bit of a squeeze in the bathroom.
Next, the central corridor section is added before moving on to the left-hand side of the first floor, the detective's office.
With front wall yet to be added the details in the room can be appreciated: desk, two chairs, filing cabinet with fan on top, safe (at the front), hat stand and, behind the ship picture, a secret compartment that's accessed by rotating the picture. The floor is not tiled which is a shame, and given the small surface area, surely would not have pushed the price and piece count up by much.
Here's the completed first floor:
The first floor sits neatly onto the ground floor, as you'd expect. There is no way to access the balcony area other than through the window. I think it's supposed to be the fire escape, rather than a balcony because it doesn't have a proper floor and there's a ladder on the left hand side which can be dropped down.
Here's a view of the back, which retains the same impressive level of detail as the front of the building.
Construction - second floor and roof
Finally, bags numbered 4 contain parts for the second floor and the roof. There are some interesting parts among them: dark grey Unikitty tails, a red inverted 2x2 dome and plenty of black 1x1 plates with hole. It's good to see the proliferation of this useful part. I had heard that it was to be restricted to use in Games sets (for eyes) because it doesn't have a LEGO logo on it, but clearly common sense has prevailed.
Construction begins on the right side of the building again, which on this floor is a kitchen area.
There's a lot of detail in the kitchen although I'm not exactly sure what it's all supposed to be. Presumably the brown thing on the wall is a (very large) rolling pin and the red dome a mixing bowl. Another 2x2 round tile with one stud is used for the table top.
A wall cupboard finishes it off and the corridor section, similar to that on the first floor, completes the enclosed space of the second floor.
Half-stud offset techniques are used extensively here which adds interest to the design.
The roof top area is very cleverly constructed and features Hero Factory fists to provide the eaves with some great detail. The water tank is also very ingeniously made but I'll leave its construction as a surprise for you.
There's a skylight window in the roof, above the detective's office, which is used for a specific purpose as explained in the designer video.
Finally, a roof is added to the right-hand end of the second floor. Once again is has some great detailing, this time courtesy of Unkitty's tail.
The minifigures
Unlike Star Wars and Super Heroes sets, you don't buy modular buildings for the minifigures but nevertheless they are an important part of the set because they bring it to life. As is always the case in modulars, they all have classic smiley faces and all bar one, come with an accessory. The set comes with 6 figures.
From left to right: female police officer with hat; Ace Brickman, private detective; criminal with crowbar?; Al the barber with scissors; a female, either Ace's or Al's client, presumably; and finally a male with what might be a quill pen. There are some great general purpose torsos among them.
[Update: turns out the tan 4L bar is a cue and the feathery thing is a dart. Perhaps the shady looking character 3rd from the left isn't a criminal after all...]
The completed model
Once the main structure of the building has been completed, details are added here and there, including the 'POOL' sign which uses 2x2 tiles with hole and the new 2x2 corner tiles to great effect, the newspaper vending machine, tree and lamp-post.
Here's how it compares in size with other modulars, the greengrocer on the left and Parisian restaurant on the right, housed in one half of my Ikea wall cabinet which looks as if it's purpose made for displaying modular buildings.
Verdict
I can summarise my review with four words: 'small but perfectly formed'. It's a really well designed and interesting building that features some excellent construction techniques, a great selection of parts used in unusual ways and wonderful details inside. But, it's a bit small particularly when compared to the Greengrocer in the picture above.
With 2262-parts, it's certainly not lacking in quantity of pieces so I guess its smaller physical size must be due to more being used to provide a higher level of detail than seen in older modulars, particularly the interior. One solution to improve its appearance would be to buy two and repeat the first floor.
I have to admit that after building it I was slightly underwhelmed, but I'm not entirely sure why. I think it's because I've become accustomed to the modulars getting better and better and perhaps it wasn't the step-change that I was anticipating. It's definitely up there with the best of them but perhaps does not surpass the Parisian Restaurant which, after all, does take some beating.
Marks out of 5:
- Parts - 5 - No stickers, lots of parts in new and useful colours and a few brand new parts.
- Building experience - 5 - Plenty of interesting techniques ensure it's never boring or laboured.
- Playability - 3 - More than most modulars thanks to the secret passage but still not much, but then you don't expect there to be.
- Value for money - 4 - About what you'd expect, at $159.99 / £132.99.
- Overall - 4 - One of the best modulars yet, but perhaps not the best.
Although it's a must-have for all modular building aficionados who are unlikely to be disappointed with it, if you don't have any of the previous ones yet I think I'd buy the Parisian Restaurant ahead of this.
The reducing stature of modular buildings is a worrying trend: how much smaller will they get in future?
7 likes
68 comments on this article
It's a beautiful building.
The multiple colors and wacky font of the "POOL" sign are a bit cartoony, and remind me of a scene from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, rather than the more classical and formal design of the Parisian Restaurant or Green Grocer. I imagine it'll go beautifully with the Pet Shop, though.
I think the tan 4L bar is supposed to be the pool cue and the silver feathers are supposed to be the darts.
Great review, I agree - I'm not sure I am as happy with the design of this building as I was with Parisian Restaurant. The stairs for the blue apartment take up WAY too much space compared to the apartment itself.
^ Looking at the back of the box the 4L bar is definitely the pool cue. I think you're also right about the feathers being darts.
"Note the new 'Export' logo in the corner."... This confused me a bit until I realized it's a typo for 'Expert' ;-)
love this modular!!!
Thanks for the detailed review.
I love the fact that this is again a fully printed set like the PR.
That reason, plus new parts, new colors for plates and parts, and the abundance of dark blue and dark orange brick-brick parts means I will add it to my small modular collection of PR and PS next year.
I love It!! Cannot wait until i can add it to my collection!
U.S. commercial architecture from the early 20th century most likely would have a dirt back lot instead of concrete, and it's common to see a variety of paint and brick color since the buildings would be touched up and built at different times.
@Huw: Thanks for the great review. A comment regarding the red highlighting in the instructions. My booklet for the Trevi Fountain featured this already. But only for the more involved building steps, like the water, where you had to place many 1x2 plates next to each other correctly.
You can see the quill pen being used as darts for the dart board in the additional images of the set in the Brickset database. I can't wait for this set it looks great! Looking forward to january for this with the flower cart.
I shall be getting it day 1 love the modulars
A church would be nice to have next lego please,
Happy christmas everyone.
MOOOOOOOM! CAN I BORROW $200? Ask me later!
The "crowbar" is a stick used for playing pool, and the "quill" is actually a dart for throwing at the board, FYI. Otherwise, I can't wait to get this and I'm sure it will look great in my town.
Good call about the dart, I hadn't thought of that!
And you're right about the gold bar the criminal is holding; it's a cue, the same as those in the rack. Perhaps he's not a criminal after all, then :)
I believe the Town Hall also utilised the highlighting pieces in steps of the instruction booklet. I find it handy as some instructions aren't aleays clear. I love this set so far and after the review more so than before. I do wonder about the trend of smaller buildings. Is it just cost restrictions that are causing it? Or is it related to the design process? Perhaps the modular building team has to function on a smaller budget?
^ Must admit I've not built the town hall, and don't have my PR instructions handy to check them.
Those wigs are probably models for the haircuts they do or something like that. Great review, as always
It seems like they are walking a very fine line to appease everyone. Cafe Corner was too sparse, in fact completely empty inside. They raised the price and piece count for Green Grocer and that seemed about right. They raised the price and piece count for Town Hall, and buyers balked at the price in general. The last few modulars have been more in line with Green Grocer piece and price wise, but they have continued to increase the detail inside the newest modulars. Parisian Restaurant seemed to strike an excellent balance...hopefully they go back to that rather than use this one as a new "standard".
What we have to remember is that detective offices are suppose to be small and dingy, hidden and wedged, like the classic ones in New York. Buildings are of all different sizes and designs. So realistically, this is completely realistic.
loving this set, i'll be sure to add it to all the other Modulars.
@huw, did you mean Good Friday or Black Friday? Excellent review.
Here's what it would look like with one extra floor next to GG, pool sign removed.
Bear in mind I spent very little time on this.
http://imgur.com/CCVkAbJ
Those 1x1 studs with a hole through them have been used on all the Unikitties, so this is not the first time we've seen them outside of game sets. They still are pretty rare in quantities (I ordered 10 from Bricklink for personal use) and the black will be useful.
Wow, my comment disappeared...
I think this is going to sell out fast on the first day. Everywhere I look people want to get more than one to mod it. Me included. I think I will get just one though, because of the price. I want to enlarge it, to put the stairs back farther, so the interiors are not taken up by them. I bet the LEGO.com site crashes on the 1st... ;-)
Height wise I'd say it's pretty much spot on. Green Grocer is unusually tall amongst the modulars (Town Hall exempted, it's a one off isn't it!) and the rooftop of the 2nd floor is pretty well in line with the roof of Fire Brigade, Pet Shop and Parisian Restaurant, Grand Emporium is almost there too.
Like LegoAdventures says, there should be some variety within a cityscape. I guess it's only having half of the top floor that makes it seem short. And yeah, the interior is on a par with PR so less is more!
And thanks so much for the photo of it in the Ikea cabinet, Galant, right? Seems absolutely perfect for a modular collection and I've just come up with somewhere perfect to put it, might be off to Ikea in Cardiff tomorrow! :D
(And I've just lost 2 comments presumably because I had the tab open too long while I was writing them. Thankfully I copied my second one just in case. It's getting to be a very regular and extremely annoying bug. I'm sure it's to do with how long the tab has been open for when you hit post comment, and it seems very old school to have to copy everything every time just in case. Any chance of an investigation and fix for it sometime? It seems to be a feature of the new site.)
Huw, the first set the "silver cup cakes/finials" appeared in was Friends 2014 Heartlake Juice Bar (41035) as the metal *juicer* part of the press to get the juice out of the fruit. Part: 1X1 Decoration Top No. 1, in Silver Metal.
Otherwise, they are moreso used (in pink) as swirls of ice cream on top of cones.
Thanks for the comprehensive review of such a detailed set.
Excellent parts pack, I'll definitely need to find some money for it.
Regarding the red outlines in the instructions: My first LEGO set, 565-1 Moon Landing from 1976, had all the parts outlined in red as they were added in each steps. Since that set is nearly all blue parts, this is indeed very helpful. So, what was old is new again!
It looks like R2-D2 will finally have 360 degree vision. I love the new parts! Thanks for the review.
I will be adding a floor for sure! It just looks better with the extra floor.
Huw, 2 questions for you; How many 1x4 Dark Blue Bricks are there, and how many 1x4 masonry bricks are there?
Huw, thanks for the review as always. The brown baseplate is dubious but otherwise I'm definitely getting this one day 1. And I really ought to start ramping up my own reviews again...
What was the general build time on this?
Modular buildings: smaller year after year!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was indicated in the Designer Video that Ace Brickman and the woman in the red dress were a couple. Isn't the letter behind his picture frame supposed to be from her?
So, where the review questions who's client she is, it's really no mystery...not for Detective Brickman.
Nice review - I wonder if I'll get the one I pre-ordered a bit early because it seems like Lego is sending them out (albeit to trusted reviewers first). As for the pool table and balls, I think I would have rather seen round 1x1 tiles over studs.
Great review however you didn't need to diss the superhero sets. I know you don't like them but the Milano Spaceship Rescue had an amazing build. That was one I felt you buy for the build plus it looks amazing once it's done.
May be the first modular I pick up. Not a criticism of the theme; they're beautiful sets. I've had other priorities. The atmosphere of this one really gets me.
I like your multi-part reviews!
Perhaps a solution would be to post the review in multiple parts first, and then when it's all done, post it again as one piece, for those who want to read it all as one?
Anyway, this looks like a great set, so thanks for the review! I love the colours, and the story behind the set as well.
Which is that ikea wall cabinet???
Great review. Makes me want the set more. Awesome new parts in this set as well.
^^I'm pretty sure it's Galant. (I'm hoping to get one in a couple of hours! I'll comment again if it's not! :P)
Billy is 80cm wide and is excruciatingly only just too narrow for three modulars, by less than one stud! Galant is 160cm so it's equivalent to two Billys side by side, but as it's one unit it only has one upright in the middle, making the shelf space just a little bit wider. It's as deep as the larger Billy too so there's plenty of room going back.
I reckon it's slightly too short to fit the Fire Brigade in though, and way too short for the Town Hall, but it would only be the tops of the towers (from the black slopes upwards) that wouldn't fit so it's likely as close as you'll get to perfect without paying extra for something that's custom made.
Yes, Galant: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80206530/
6 will fit in it, but not the town hall, or the sign on top of Grand Emporium. Internal height is 36cm. Width is 3 32x32 baseplates + 5mm per half.
Thank you everyone for the additional info on the parts and minifigs: I like it when we work as a team to bottom out the facts. :)
@Regimus, thanks for doing that, it looks great doesn't it.
^A quick google gives me a number of pool/billiard table makes named 'The highlander'. Maybe TLG have one in their games room? (If they have a games room).
This is the first modular that's SERIOUSLY tempted me. Loving all the details and I think it's the detective theme that has me interested.
Looks nice. Wanted to get it, but with a load of other themes I want next year, I'll have to pass on the MB again. :-(
Anyway, great review!
Hopefully we get a Star Was building using these technics.
Great review Huw. I now have to resist buying this for a while so I can get slave 1.
The Trevi Fountain also makes use of the red outline, although not throughout the entire booklet. Only on some of the more difficult sections (ergo the placement of almost a hundred identically-coloured pieces)
I typically lose my comments too. That's why I find post much anymore. Too frustrating.
With that said, someone on eurobricks mentioned there is a pub in billund called the highlander. I don't know the truth, but it seems plausible. (There actually is a bar in my town called that too. My lab manager used to do his dart tournaments there).
Great review Huw! I can't wait to get this set. By the way I pretty sure that LEGO used the red outlines in a couple Architecture sets.
The buildings look great in that Ikea cabinet. I might keep an eye on what's in their sale :)
@Huw: In one or two Modular Building PDFs there were red lines. Can't remember which now. But please note - these are PDFs, not Instruction Booklets. ;-)
And just to say - I think that this set and the CMF Series 5 Detective are the only "Detective" sets LEGO has produced. Feel free to correct me if I am mistaken. ;-)
Loving that... May buy that instead of Slave-1...
@Sethro3, I think you are right! That's the one that was knocked down to make room for the LEGO House. What a great tribute to it!
The lack of tiles in the office give me the impression of a carpet floor. I like it and I suspect it is entirely intentional.
Nice Photos! I am going to make a video on this, credit will be given :)
I lose some of my comments too (particularly if posting from my phone).
(Architecture) Falling Water has red outlines on the build steps too...generally, I think it's to help in sections where there are a lot of the same colour used to build up the model, but the step you pictured in your review doesn't seem *that* difficult to figure out without the red lines, so maybe they've decide to simplify things further (IMHO not necessary for a set branded as 'expert')?
This set looks great, and I look forward to adding it to my Modular collection (very sadly missing GG, and less-sadly missing MS & CC) soon.
I recently received an email from TLG, offering me double VIP points on 5th Jan (one day only), as thanks for taking advantage of the early Black/Brick Friday deals last month (perhaps in lieu of the 5% discount in EU/double points in US offers available that weekend), so if like the US, Aus LEGO.com also offers the 'Flower Cart' poly (and SW 'AT-DP', and Friends 'Mini Golf'), I might just be persuaded to place a LEGO.com order (we have a minimum free shipping threshhold of $200(!), or a crazy $35.00(!) shipping charge, here in Aus), for DO, along with qualifying SW and Friends sets, and Ideas Birds, rather than waiting for retail release, and a percentage-off sale, probably mid-2015 (we don't have B&M LEGO stores)...
Edit:
PS I agree that DO (and PR) look a bit stunted when compared to GG - although perhaps less-so if DO was positioned on the other side of GG, where the heights are more similar. But...I'm not sure I really like the look of repeating the middle storey/floor of DO, as it looks a bit 'same-same'. Most cities do have varying architecture styles/building heights, so I'm not too phased about DO (and PR) appearing smaller/shorter than some of the older Modulars, so long as the pieces have been utilised on the interior details instead, which by all accounts, they have been (I'm yet to build most of my Modular collection).
^ The red outlines are on every step of the instructions, which I didn't make clear. As you and others have said, they have been used before but not throughout, AFAIK.
Im not sure about this modular building. Not one of my favourites. In your review Huw I think maybe you mean Black Friday not Good Friday....... (Pedantic I inow but it irks me!)
Well, still doesn't look right as a modular, but this set looks amazing as an individual product! Will get sometime in the future. :)
Also, the large-scale Sydney Opera House did take advantage of the red lining completely throughout the build, so it isn't new for 2015 that that's been used for the entire thing. I found it really helpful considering just how large that set was.
Great stuff. Wondering about the exact colors. Is that sand blue or the azure color? Is the masonry brick dark orange or medium nougat color?
That's AWESOME! I love this building. It does seem smaller than normal, but I don't care! etc.
^Neither, it's Medium Blue; and the other one is indeed Medium Nougat.
very nice review, and I cannot but agree more with your final comments. it is nice, detailed, but being a fan of Modulars from the beginning I can see they are downsizing them too much. Piece count is OK, but it doesn't stand at the same level, IMHO, with the others...
^^ yes medium blue but directly adjacent to it is : sand blue? or medium azure? i also see normal blue and dark blue.
Medium blue with Light Royal Blue.
I need help choosing between Modular buildings. I really want the Detective's Office, but yet I also want the Palace Cinema. Which one should I choose if it will be my first one?
Great review, I really enjoyed reading it. The outlined new parts is something I've seen in certain sets, especially old ones. Some of the very old ones, regular and technic, have this throughout the instructions. I always found it a bit disconcerting, and its occurrence is infrequent and not predictable (not theme- or year- or difficulty-specific), but off hand, I don't know which specific set numbers this applies to. Definitely not a new thing though.
Great review, I got this set yesterday and built it straight away. It is really fun to build!
I got it yesterday finished it this evening hopefully it will grow on me. Not my favorite by a long way. They seem to be getting smaller all the time. I have all the modulars and found it hard placing this one. In the end I put it in-between the town hall and the fire brigade. We really could do with a nice big church. The way they are going the next one will be a tesco's or Aldi. A hospital would be good also. Hope everyone has a good new year and you get all wish for.
This set is pretty good. Might consider getting it after the Parisian Restaurant!