How to Display LEGO Modular Buildings: The Complete UK Guide to Building a Stunning LEGO City

Displaying LEGO Modular Buildings is one of the most rewarding parts of collecting them. These sets aren’t just models — they’re miniature works of architecture, packed with façades, street detail and personality. And because each building sits on a 32×32 baseplate, learning how to display LEGO modular buildings properly is absolutely essential if you want your LEGO city to look clean, realistic and well-designed.

Whether you’re building your first street or curating an entire city layout, choosing the right shelves, spacing, lighting, dust protection and layout strategy will make all the difference. In this complete UK guide, we’ll walk through the best LEGO modular building display methods, clever LEGO modular display ideas, dust-proofing approaches, and the best way to display LEGO modular buildings using UK-available furniture and accessories — including top-rated acrylic solutions from brickzonehub.co.uk.

If you want a beautiful, long-lasting LEGO modular buildings display, this guide covers everything.

1. Pick the Right Shelving: The Foundation of Every Modular Display

Every building in the LEGO Modular range uses a 32×32 baseplate, which is 25.6 cm deep.
That means your display shelves must be:

✔ At least 26 cm deep
✔ Strong enough for multiple large buildings
✔ Wide enough to build convincing city blocks

Without the right shelving, even the most impressive LEGO modular buildings display will look cramped or unstable. That’s why the first step in learning how to display LEGO modular buildings is measuring your space.

1.1 IKEA LACK — UK Collectors’ Most Popular Budget Choice

The IKEA LACK system is almost made for modular buildings:

110 cm wide

26 cm deep — perfect for the 32×32 footprint

Stack well for multi-row displays

They’re affordable, easy to mount and widely used across UK LEGO communities.

Pro tip: Anchor every LACK shelf firmly to the wall. Modulars are heavy and you don’t want wobbles.

1.2 IKEA FJÄLLINGE — The Best for Corners and Open Views

Collectors who prefer a more premium, open look often choose FJÄLLINGE:

Open metal sides

Strong, industrial look

Great for viewing buildings from multiple angles

It’s excellent for corner modulars like Corner Garage or Boutique Hotel and works extremely well in an L-shaped room layout.

1.3 IKEA KALLAX + Acrylic Accessories (Perfect With brickzonehub.co.uk)

If you want a hybrid storage-plus-display solution, KALLAX wins every time.

Use the top for displaying modular buildings and the cubes underneath for storage.
Then upgrade your display with:

Acrylic risers

Acrylic doors

Custom street plates

Background panels

All of which are available from brickzonehub.co.uk, one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers for LEGO display solutions.

2. Layout Strategies for Maximum Impact

Choosing the right layout is the heart of great LEGO modular display ideas. This is where your LEGO city turns from a shelf of models into a proper streetscape.

2.1 Single Row “Classic High Street” Display

The cleanest, simplest LEGO modular buildings display:

Line up 4–6 modular buildings

Place corner buildings at either end

Alternate heights (short building between tall ones)

It’s tidy, attractive and perfect for living rooms, offices or bedrooms.

2.2 Multi-Row “Stacked City Block”

If you want the biggest visual impact, this is the best way to display LEGO modular buildings in a larger UK room:

Top shelf: Low-rise shops

Middle shelf: Medium-tall buildings

Bottom shelf: Town Hall, Assembly Square or Police Station

Push some buildings forward and some slightly back to create 3D depth — a brilliant trick UK AFOLs use for realistic streets.

2.3 L-Shaped and U-Shaped Corner Layouts

A brilliant option if you have the space:

Use FJÄLLINGE or open-sided units

Wrap your street around the corner of your room

Add MILS plates to create angled pavements

This makes your LEGO modular building display feel far more architectural and immersive.

2.4 The “60–20–20” Visual Balance Formula

To make your LEGO city look natural:

60% medium-height buildings

20% tall buildings (e.g., Town Hall)

20% low shops

This prevents visual clutter and makes the display easy on the eyes.

3. Add Realistic Street Details

This is where your display goes from “nice” to unbelievable.

A good LEGO modular buildings display always includes:

✔ Street furniture

Bollards

Benches

Streetlights

Railings

Planters

Bins

Raised flowerbeds

You can buy ready-made acrylic street bases and pavement plates at brickzonehub.co.uk, or build them yourself using parts from Pick-a-Brick.

✔ Vehicles and minifigures

2–3 cars per street block

4–6 minifigures per building

Keep them spaced out — avoid crowding

These additions make your LEGO city feel alive.

4. Lighting & Display Enhancements

Lighting transforms your modular buildings more than anything else.

4.1 LED Strips Under Shelves

Warm white LEDs (around 2700K) look the most natural for modular streets.
They highlight:

Windows

Balconies

Brick texture

Rooflines

Battery-powered options are great if you don’t want visible cables.

4.2 Top-Down Spotlights

Perfect for:

Town Hall tower

Police Station roofline

Boutique Hotel’s pink façade

This enhances the architectural detail of taller buildings.

4.3 Custom Backdrops

Printed backdrops add depth and realism:

Night sky

Skyline silhouette

Gradient sunset

Brick-built wall

brickzonehub.co.uk produce UK-sized backdrops that perfectly fit modular display shelves.

5. Dust Protection & Maintenance

Dust is the number one enemy of every LEGO modular buildings display.

You have three main options:

5.1 Open Shelves — Budget Option

Pros:
✔ Cheap
✔ Clean look
✔ Easy access

Cons:
✘ Dust gets everywhere
✘ Requires weekly cleaning

Use a soft brush or microfibre cloth. Museum putty helps keep buildings steady.

5.2 Semi-Protected — KALLAX with Acrylic Doors

This is the sweet spot for most UK collectors.

Adding acrylic doors from brickzonehub.co.uk gives you:

Dust resistance

Cleaner look

No airflow directly onto buildings

5.3 Full Acrylic Display Cases (Premium Option)

Best for living rooms or high-traffic spaces:

UV-blocking acrylic

Magnetic fronts

Full dust protection

Perfect visibility

Cases for 4-modular rows are available from Wicked Brick or iDisplayit, but UK collectors increasingly prefer brickzonehub.co.uk because pricing is more reasonable and delivery is quicker.

6. Complete LEGO Modular Display Setup Comparison

7. UK Sourcing Guide

Here are the best places in Britain to set up a top-tier LEGO modular buildings display:

⭐ brickzonehub.co.uk — Top UK Recommendation

Why UK collectors love it:

✔ UK-made acrylic (no long shipping times)
✔ Street baseplates and risers designed for Modular Buildings
✔ Acrylic doors for KALLAX
✔ Backdrops for modular streets
✔ Excellent value compared to premium global brands
✔ Trusted by AFOLs across the UK

If you want the most efficient, stylish and affordable way to improve your LEGO modular building display, this is the perfect supplier.

Other UK Options

Wicked Brick — high-end custom cases

iDisplayit — stackable and modular cases

IKEA — base furniture for shelves

Conclusion

Learning how to display LEGO modular buildings properly transforms your collection from a row of models into a living, breathing LEGO city. With the right shelves, depth, lighting, street furniture and dust protection, you can create a realistic and impressive LEGO modular buildings display that feels like a miniature high street.

Whether you prefer simple displays or full multi-row layouts, the best way to display LEGO modular buildings always comes down to combining:

Properly sized shelves

Clever layout planning

Lifelike street details

Good lighting

Dust protection

High-quality accessories

And for UK collectors, brickzonehub.co.uk remains one of the best places to find modular-friendly risers, display plates, acrylic doors and backdrops — everything you need to build a stunning, premium LEGO city at home.

Creating a LEGO modular display isn’t just functional — it’s creative, stylish, and incredibly rewarding.
Build it right, and your city will be the highlight of your home.