The Lumibricks News Stand sits within the Town Life theme and is one of the smaller offerings in their modular city-style range. It’s the kind of build that immediately feels at home in an urban layout, compact, detailed, and full of everyday city character.
This set was originally released under the Funwhole branding and has since been rebranded as Lumibricks. After building several of Lumibricks’ newer releases, I was genuinely curious to see how this older design would hold up in terms of design, build quality, and lighting integration.
Quick Summary
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent lighting integration | Only one minifigure |
| Fully printed details throughout | Slightly tight wiring under floor tiles |
| Strong city atmosphere | |
| Clever hidden battery placement | |
| Great value for money |
A compact, characterful city build that proves Lumibricks doesn’t need large modulars to make an impact. If you’re building a detailed street scene, this is an easy recommendation.
Set Information
Set No: F9023
Pieces: 556 PCS
Size: 8.27″x7.87″x3.15″
Lights: 3 LED lights
Battery: CR2032 (not included)
Power Options: Power Options: 1 x Coin Cell Battery Box (CR2032) or USB Cable.
The Build and Experience
The build experience was very solid from start to finish.
Each numbered bag contained a sensible amount of parts, making the build easy to break into relaxed sessions without ever feeling padded or rushed. Instructions were clear, and I didn’t run into any issues or confusing steps.
One thing I really appreciated was how the battery pack is hidden within the walls of the newsstand itself. It’s neatly integrated and doesn’t feel like an afterthought, which is something Lumibricks generally does well.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, straightforward build that never got frustrating or dull.
Design & Features
For a small footprint, the News Stand packs in a surprising amount of detail.
Inside, there’s a nicely designed drink dispenser, plenty of printed newspapers and advertisements, and lots of small touches that make the interior feel busy and lived-in. Importantly, everything here is printed rather than stickered, which immediately elevates the set.
The roof is a real highlight. The dark green colour works perfectly for this style of building, and the decorative elements give it a slightly elegant, old-world city feel. The seagull perched on top is a simple detail, but it adds character and a bit of charm.
There are also a couple of fun interactive elements:
- A retractable awning, which adds play value and visual variety.
- A rotating illuminated display window on the side of the stand, complete with printed adverts, which looks great when lit.
The set also includes a bicycle and a scooter, which help sell the street scene nicely.
Display & City Integration
This set looks fantastic in a city layout.
It’s compact, full of character, and works beautifully as a street corner filler. I’ll personally be MILSing this onto a 16×32 plate, where it should slot perfectly into a modular street without overpowering anything around it.
Accessibility
Accessibility is simple and effective.
The roof lifts off easily, giving full access to the interior, which is more than enough for a set of this size. This is clearly designed more as a display-focused city filler than a deep playset, and that’s perfectly fine.
Brick Quality
As with other Lumibricks sets, the brick quality is excellent. Parts are crisp, clutch is strong, and everything feels premium. This is very much on par with LEGO in terms of quality.
Printed Parts
Printed parts are used extensively throughout the News Stand, and they add a huge amount of character to what is, on paper, a fairly small build.
There are printed newspapers, posters, adverts, signage, and decorative tiles scattered across both the exterior and interior. None of it feels generic. Everything fits the theme and helps sell the idea that this is a busy little city kiosk rather than just a box with a counter inside.
The rotating display window in particular benefits from the printed elements. With the internal lighting switched on, the graphics really pop and give that classic illuminated street-advert feel you’d expect to see in a real city scene.
Importantly, there are no stickers here. As with other Lumibricks sets, all decoration is done via prints, which makes the build feel more premium and avoids the usual alignment frustrations. Print quality is sharp, colours are solid, and nothing looks muddy or misaligned.
For a set of this size, the amount of printed detail is genuinely impressive and goes a long way toward explaining why it looks so good once it’s on display.
Minifigures
The set includes one minifigure, which feels slightly stingy.
Personally, I would have liked to see a second figure, perhaps a customer browsing the papers. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does feel like a missed opportunity given how lively the rest of the set is.
Lighting System
The lighting here is spot on.
It’s subtle, believable, and does exactly what it needs to do. The interior lighting brings the stand to life at night without feeling overdone, and the illuminated display window is particularly effective.
I was also very pleased with the lamppost design. Unlike some other Lumibricks sets where wires are visibly wrapped around the post, this one has the wiring fully hidden inside, which looks much cleaner and more realistic.
The only minor criticism is that some wiring under the floor tiles felt a little tight, almost pinched in places. It didn’t cause any functional problems, but it’s worth mentioning. Everywhere else, the cable routing was neat and well thought out.
Instructions
The instructions are clear, colourful, and easy to follow. Typical Lumibricks quality. The layout is clean, and the cable-routing steps are shown plainly, so nothing feels confusing.
Pricing and Value
I purchased my copy from Amazon for £28.79, though since then the News Stand has appeared regularly in sales and promotions at noticeably lower prices. If you’re patient, this is an easy set to pick up for a genuine bargain.
At full price, £31 ($34.99) for 556 pieces, fully integrated lighting, and an all-printed parts selection already feels reasonable. Catch it during a discount and the value becomes excellent, especially considering the level of detail packed into such a small footprint.
This is one of those sets that feels fairly priced out of the box, but becomes a standout purchase once you hit a sale.
Verdict
The Lumibricks News Stand might be small, but it absolutely earns its place in a city layout. It’s packed with character, loaded with printed detail, and delivers exactly the kind of street-level charm that makes a modular city feel alive.
The build is relaxed and enjoyable, with smart parts usage and impressively tidy lighting integration for an older set. Features like the rotating display window, retractable awning, and fully detailed interior give it far more presence than its footprint suggests.
It’s not perfect. One minifigure feels a little stingy, and the floor wiring is slightly pinched in places, but neither issue detracts from the finished result. Once lit up, those complaints fade away quickly.
As a standalone scene or a filler build between larger modulars, the News Stand shines. It’s charming, atmospheric, and unmistakably Lumibricks. A small build with big city energy, and an easy recommendation for anyone building out a detailed street.
Smooth, enjoyable build.
Packed with detail, strong city character despite the small size.
Subtle, believable, and very well integrated overall.
Excellent value considering the prints, lighting, and design.
Where to buy
You can buy Lumibricks directly from their official website or through their Amazon store.
The Official Site: It is worth knowing that they run a rewards program (similar to LEGO Insiders). You earn points on every purchase which can be swapped for money-off vouchers later—so if you plan to buy multiple sets, buying direct often pays off.
Amazon: Generally offers faster delivery and stock is more consistent. They also tend to have random discounts that the official site doesn’t match.
My Recommendation: I always check both links below. If Amazon has a lower price, I grab it there for the savings and speed. If the prices are roughly the same, I buy from the official site to bank the loyalty points.
Transparency: I purchased this set myself to review. The links below are affiliate links, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full Affiliate Disclosure for details.
