As we welcome the New Year, I wanted to share a few highlights from the past year at Brick Architect, some awesome LEGO content this month you might have missed, and some exciting new sets for January. I also took some time to think about what I want to do a little differently next year to make Brick Architect an even better resource.

#10350 Tudor Corner

I’m going to keep this simple — #10350 Tudor Corner might be the best addition to the LEGO Modular Building Series yet, and it is definitely the best one that hasn’t retired! I found the building techniques impressive, the interior is well detailed, and the overall composition is striking. More importantly, it was a lot of fun to build, especially the third floor with the half-timbered (Tudor) walls and complex gabled roof.

#10350 Tudor Corner is an exceptional addition to the Modular Building Series.

Honestly, if you are already planning to buy the set, just order it now and wait to read the article until after you build it. Otherwise, I encourage you to check out the article as you might be tempted to start your own Modular City in 2025.

Brick Architect Highlights from 2024

You may have already surmised that creating The LEGO Parts Guide was my main focus this year. The first challenge was to create a robust database of common parts, followed by adding analytics to calculate the Most Common LEGO Parts from the same dataset, and finally introducing the ability to download my popular LEGO Brick Labels from within the parts guide — doubling the number of labels overnight.

Investing in the Parts Guide also makes the rest of our articles even better — When we mention specific parts within articles or reviews, we use the simplified part names from the parts guide and include a link to learn more about each part.

We also reviewed 32 different LEGO sets/products this year. This included our popular Advent Calendar Roundup, and even a ‘magical’ magazine that you should avoid. (As a reviewer, it’s more important to help readers avoid bad products than to help them find the best ones!)

Here are the 10 most viewed reviews from 2024:

1. #21061 Notre Dame (LEGO Architecture) – Must Have (5/5 Stars)
2. #10332 Medieval Town Square (LEGO Icons) – Good (3/5 Stars)
3. #21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas (LEGO Ideas) – Good (3/5 Stars)
4. #42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit (LEGO Technic) – Excellent (4/5 Stars)
5. #21353 The Botanical Garden (LEGO Ideas) – Good (3/5 Stars)
6. #42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance & #42165 Pull-Back (LEGO Technic) – #42171: Acceptable (2/5 Stars), #42165 Pull-Back: Good (3/5 Stars)
7. Summer 2024 Jungle Explorer LEGO City Sets – Good (3/5 Stars) to Recommended (4/5 Stars)
8. Piece by Piece (Movie) – Excellent (4/5 Stars) – But not recommended for kids, which is too bad!
9. #10339 Santa’s Post Office (Winter Village) – Must Have (5/5 Stars)
10. #71799 Ninjago City Markets – Must Have (5/5 Stars)

It’s pretty exciting to see three sets earn the coveted 5/5 rating this year, a real testament to the high level of talent that is designing new sets aimed at the AFOL community. I hope they can live up to these elevated expectations in the new year!

I also wanted to highlight some of my favorite non-review articles of the year:

• Unlocking your creativity by building your own MOCs the easy way!
  Koen did a fantastic job showing how Creator 3-in-1 sets like #31120 Medieval Castle give you a wide range of parts and helpful constraints to start building your own custom LEGO models.
• Review: Summer 2024 LEGO Dreamzzz Sets
  While I did review all of the sets featured in this article, the real joy was watching my son build all the sets, and then create a huge battle scene after building them all. It is a joy to put aside my AFOL ways and watch kids play with LEGO.

My 6-year-old son posed all of the models and minifigs into this epic battle scene.

• Video: The LEGO Architect – Learn popular architectural styles using LEGO
  It is a pleasure to share my love of LEGO and Architecture with others, and I really enjoyed updating my talk to include architectural styles not featured in my book. I hope you learn something new when you watch it!
• Can you still play all of the LEGO×TT Adventure Games in 2024?
  This spring, I embarked on a crazy quest to acquire every LEGO adventure game since you can still play them all on the latest generation Xbox Console. I’m currently playing LEGO The Incredibles (2018). It’s a playful superhero game that’s feels a bit more appropriate for younger kids than the Marvel titles.

Looking Forward (or the case for maintenance)

Earlier this year, I listened to a couple podcasts about a common theme – the importance of simply maintaining the stuff we already have versus the constant pull to create completely new things. (notably: In Praise of Maintenance, Freakonomics, 2016.)

This got me thinking about the amount of time and energy I spend on new projects at Brick Architect versus the amount of energy I spend maintaining older resources. It’s a good idea to revisit this periodically, since the long-term return on investment of improving the most popular resources on this site is likely higher than creating one more product review or article. This is not to say that I’m planning to stop reviewing sets, so much as a reminder that I need to maintain balance to ensure that I create and maintain the most relevant resources for my readers.

With 2024 defined by my investments in the LEGO Parts Guide (something new), I am hoping to invest more in 2025 in enhancing existing resources. This will include both continued maintenance and improvements to the Parts Guide and Labels, but also in some resources that haven’t seen as much attention in recent years.

Potential ‘maintenance’ improvements in the new year:

• LEGO Parts Guide: Improve database by giving more parts custom names and adding them to Category view, creating more custom part images. Improved search experience. Exploring print optimizations for people who want a printed copy of the guide.
• LEGO Brick Labels: Update the LEGO Brick Labels page to better reflect that labels for most parts are now integrated into the parts guide.
• LEGO Storage Guide: Update the guide to reflect evolving sorting strategies as the LEGO Parts Library continues to grow.
• Other Popular Content: Re-read and update articles about evergreen topics like Color, Scale, and Powered-up.
• Website Appearance: I am considering a refresh to the appearance of the website starting with an updated header that better reflects the rich library of content available to readers.

I’m excited to see how many of these improvements I’m able to make in the coming year. As always, I’d love to hear what you think would make Brick Architect an even better resource to help adult LEGO builders deepen their knowledge and build something awesome.

New at Brick Architect

While we only published one traditional review this month, we also have a great article about creativity, and a major improvement to the Parts Guide.

• Review: #10350 Tudor Corner
  This addition to the popular LEGO Modular Building Series is delightful and cozy — but why are there so many clocks?
• Unlocking your creativity by building your own MOCs the easy way!
  Creator 3-in-1 sets like #31120 Medieval Castle give you a wide range of parts and helpful constraints to start building your own custom LEGO models.
• Printable LEGO Brick Labels added to the LEGO Parts Guide!
  This radically expands my popular LEGO Brick Labels collection by creating thousands of new labels automatically.

January 2025 releases for AFOLs

January is a big month for new LEGO set releases, with a few AFOL-oriented sets and large waves of new products aimed at younger builders. Here are a few of the most exciting new sets for the new year. (In addition to the Tudor Corner GWP highlighted below, be on the lookout for #40756 Lucky Knots, another gift-with-purchase coming soon that includes a cool new short chain element.)

• #10350 Tudor Corner
  This is the best addition to the LEGO Modular Series in years thanks to excellent architectural detailing, compelling build techniques and a good value. We gate it 5/5 stars in our recent review. If you buy it now, you will get a nice Gift-With-Purchase: #40757 Corner Kiosk.
  3266 pieces, ages 18+, $230, available now at LEGO.com
• #10355 Blacktron Renegade
  While initial reviews are mixed, this set is a must have for Classic Space fans. 1151 pieces, ages 18+, $100, available now at LEGO.com

#10355 Blacktron Renegade is big on 80’s Nostalgia.

• #10363 Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine
  While The LEGO Group has tackled historic scenes in several recent gift-with-purchase sets, this is a larger model based on a historical figure. I think the winged machine will inspire curiosity for many builders, and it is good to see a smaller set for older builders.
  493 pieces, ages 18+, $50, available now at LEGO.com
• #10359 Fountain Garden
  This is a beautiful foliage-filled scene is an excellent Moorish-inspired follow-up to last year’s #10315 Tranquil Garden.
  1302 pieces, ages 18+, $100, available now at LEGO.com

There’s also six Star Wars sets including a cute model featuring Grogu and his space pram, 16 LEGO City sets at price points from $20 to $100, 18 new LEGO Friends sets including the spendy but architecturally interesting #42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores ($170 for 2040 pieces). There’s also a bunch of new sets in the Ninjago, Marvel, Disney, Dreamzzz, Monkie Kid, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Sonic, and new Mario Kart themes!

#80117 Good Fortune has a dynamic composition which I appreciate.

Lastly, there are three sets in the Lunar New Year theme which can best be described as ‘still lifes’ – featuring the static-looking #80116 Trotting Lantern, wonderfully asymmetrical #80117 Good Fortune, and the classic waving cat sculpture in #40813 Lucky Cat (just $30).

You can see explore all of these new releases by visiting the lego.com store. (Making a purchase using our referral link helps support this website.)

Best articles from around the web

Learn more about the LEGO hobby every month with a selection of great articles from around the web…

• How to Apply LEGO Stickers: Conquering the Dreaded Sticker Sheet
  John Cooper shares this really simple trick to apply stickers more easily by using the corner of the sticker sheet as an alignment guide. In the last week, I’ve used it twice for my son’s xmas LEGO sets, and even for a new board game.
  —BrickNerd
• New Initiatives to Support Fans and Colleagues with Non-visible Disabilities, Conditions and Sensory Needs
  Earlier this year, The LEGO Group debuted a yellow sunflower lanyard at The LEGO House in Billund as a way to signify when a visitor may require a little more patience due to a non-visible disability. While I worry that everyone will want the pretty sunflower lanyard and dilute it’s meaning, this is a great program. They’ve also added minifigs with the lanyard to a few new sets.
  —The LEGO Group
• Designer interview: 10350 Tudor Corner with François Zapf and Ashwin Visser
  Tim Johnson had the rare pleasure to speak with François and Ashwin about the excellent #10350 Tudor Corner months before it’s release.
  —New Elementary

This is called Tudor Corner; referencing the specific British architecture style … We wanted to to give this cozy vibe after the the Natural History Museum, because the museum was massive, and we wanted to … have a different atmosphere.

François Zapf

• Review: 10343 Mini Orchid and 10344 Lucky Bamboo from LEGO Botanicals
  This article starts with a closer look at the most anticipated part of 2025: Round 1×1 w/ Clip, Underside (Part 5264). This is going to transform construction at subtle angles when paired with Part 79194.
  —New Elementary
• Over 250 New IPs Added and More Coming Soon!
  The LEGO IDEAS program continues to evolve, most recently by limiting submissions to a set of pre-approved IP Themes. Thankfully, they continue to add new IP partners which allows people to submit a wider range of ideas. (Unfortunately, there is no easy way to see a complete list of options.)
  —LEGO IDEAS
• LEGO Bluey sets teased for 2025! For real life!
  There’s no show that’s positively transformed the mental health of parents of young kids as much as Bluey. The show is genuinely sweet, emotionally intelligent, and funny for all ages. (There are a handful of episodes that should come with a box of tissues for parents.) Jay Ong explains what a Long Dog is, and why this means that LEGO sets based on the popular show are just around the corner.
  —Jay’s Brick Blog

Hope your tree is full of surprises… (like this brick-built ‘Long Dog’ under the tree!)

• Boxing Day? A Look At Wacky LEGO Packaging
  This article by Chris Roberts highlights some of the weird and wonderful LEGO Set packaging throughout the years…
  —BrickNerd
• Parts review: January 2025 LEGO DREAMZzz sets
  LEGO Dreamzzz has been a hotspot for weird and wonderful new parts, and the upcoming 2025 sets are no exception. Elspeth De Montes highlights notable new parts including a new smoke/exhaust element, and a small dome with a frilled base which comes in a printed version representing the popular Z-Blob character.
  —New Elementary
• LEGO parts 77845 & 77850: rounded plates
  We now have 1× wide plates with rounded ends in lengths from 2× to 4×, plus the 5× version which has an axle hole in the middle. This article by Kev Levell highlights some of the awesome geometrical shapes that are possible when using these parts.
  —New Elementary