Mir was also rather neat in that it was mostly self-assembling: All big modules were built from TKS space craft and rendezvoused and docked fully automatically,

Mir was also rather neat in that it was mostly self-assembling: All big modules were built from TKS space craft and rendezvoused and docked fully automatically, with kosmonauts only required for the final touches. While it did limit available living space (as fraction of total volume), it's a much more flexible concept than requiring a Shuttle to haul up everything and dock it under human supervision. Maybe not for manned space stations, but e.g. long-range interplanetary probes could be launched in parts and self-assemble before departing for the outer solar system. (Anecdotally a few NASA engineers were itching do to that for decades, but with the US not having the necessary technology, it was always rejected.)