Tom Alphin Author: Tom Alphin

Tom is the Editor-in-Chief at Brick Architect. He founded the website in 2015 just before releasing his bestselling book The LEGO Architect (which teaches 7 architectural styles using LEGO bricks). In addition to reviewing new LEGO Architecture sets, he likes to write articles exploring technical aspects of the LEGO hobby including LEGO storage, and the LEGO color palette.

Tom has written 258 stories for Brick Architect.

LEGO Brick Labels v39

This update adds 117 new labels to the LEGO Brick Labels collection!

Version 39 adds 74 new LEGO Labels and 43 new DUPLO Labels for a total of 1685 unique labels!

Version 39 adds 74 new LEGO Labels and 43 new DUPLO Labels for a total of 1685 unique labels!

What’s new in this update?

  1. 74 new LEGO labels — including a ton of new parts released in 2022.
  2. 43 new labels for the Most Common DUPLO (and QUATRO) parts.
    There are many adult builders who use DUPLO and even retired QUATRO pieces as filler when building large models.
  3. 51 updated labels.
    The biggest change is use of ‘Ø’ symbol instead of ‘Diameter’ or ‘Dia.’ for rounded parts.
This update uses 'Ø' symbol instead of 'Diameter' or 'Dia.' to make labels for rounded parts more concise.

This update uses ‘Ø’ symbol instead of ‘Diameter’ or ‘Dia.’ to make labels for rounded parts more concise.

How did I pick the Most Common DUPLO parts?
While much less popular than my article highlighting the Most Common LEGO Parts, I also created a similar list of the Most Common DUPLO Parts which was updated recently.

Learn more and download at brickarchitect.com/labels.
LEGO Brick Labels is updated regularly include the most popular new parts. You can support the LEGO Brick Labels project by donating at patreon.com!

LEGO Brick Labels v39 – Beta Preview

At least 51 new labels are coming soon!

I’ve reviewed every new LEGO part added in the second half of 2022, plus the top ~1250 Most Common LEGO Parts, and found a lot of great parts that I’m excited to to add to the collection!

There will be at least 51 new labels in the upcoming release.

There will be at least 51 new labels in the upcoming release.

Support LEGO Brick Labels — get early access!

Become a patron at patreon.com to download these new labels right now. Your support helps Brick Architect and the LEGO Brick Labels project in particular. Patrons can also access some behind-the-scenes content about how these labels are created.

Proposed improvements in this update

I am constantly trying to improve the short text descriptions for each part. With this update, I’m exploring the consistent use of diameter (Ø) indicators on many round parts. This is especially relevant when you have a large part with a rounded corner – knowing the diameter/radius of the corner will help you determine which parts to use above or below it. As you can see from the example image, this should also improve parts which already show a diameter (such as tires and wheels).

Using "Ø" symbol to indicate diameter of rounded parts.

Using “Ø” symbol to indicate diameter of rounded parts.

Examples:

  • 1×2 Tile, Ø1 Rounded Ends (part 1126)
    When Ø is followed by a number without units, it means studs. I could have said “Ø1L” instead of “Ø1”, but I want to optimize for simple cases.
  • Hose, Ribbed Ø7mm (part 78c**)
    When Ø is followed by a measurement in mm, I will clearly say so, as in this example “Ø7mm”.
  • Ø24mm × 11mm Integrated Tire w/ Pin (part 72206)
    I will probably update wheels to use this format as well, as in this example.

This is similar to how I started indicating the angle (°) for slopes in version 3.2… I do worry that awareness of ‘Ø’ as the symbol for Diameter is low. While it is certainly something people can learn, I do not want to introduce too much confusion.

This is a potentially major change, so FEEDBACK IS WELCOME! (You can email me or leave a comment.)

P.S. This change was inspired by some official LEGO part names which also use the “Ø” symbol. That symbol happens to be a letter in Danish, but it is also used in mathematical circles (pun intended) to mean diameter.

Updated for 2022: Most Common LEGO Parts

Explore the top 1000 most common parts from 2018-2022 and recent evolution of the LEGO Parts Library.

The Most Common LEGO Parts also happens to be one of the most popular articles here at Brick Architect. While it’s interesting to see which parts are the most common, I particularly enjoy learning about parts which are gaining popularity over time, as well as those which are slowly fading to obscurity.

In other words, we can find the slow evolution of the LEGO System of Play hidden in the data.

The 2022 update highlights a few trends in recent years, such as:

  1. The rising popularity of tiny pieces.
  2. Decreasing emphasis on basic bricks and plates.
  3. Possible decrease in popularity of Technic parts.
  4. Blossoming popularity of plant pieces.
  5. Stable popularity for SNOT pieces.

It was also interesting to observe the impact of a single set on the rankings; #10307 Eiffel Tower alone is responsible for doubling the popularity of one part: Bar 2L w/ Stop (part 78258).

Take a deeper dive into the Most Common LEGO Parts.