LEGO Ideas didn't want to step on Space's toes after 2024

Next month's brand new LEGO Ideas STEM set was redesigned for the better to avoid stepping on the toes of the 2024 LEGO Space range.

Just as this year is all about LEGO Formula 1 across multiple themes, 2024 started what appears to be an annual tradition by exploring a Space-centric range across all manner of product lines. This was the same year in which the LEGO Ideas team announced that Daniel Bradley's submission would be a future LEGO Ideas set – and eventually became 21355 The Evolution of STEM.

When the LEGO Ideas team were designing 21355 The Evolution of STEM though, they had to be cautious of this space-centric collection since it's hard to avoid the topic with STEM, and it formed the literal heart of the proposed build.

"When we were developing this model, there was also a lot of LEGO Space stuff happening, so there were a lot of conventional shuttles in the assortment at different price points," explained designer Ollie Gregory in a recent roundtable interview. "What Dan had was quite similar to previous Creator shuttles. So yeah, the overall composition was there, but it was this piece in the centre where we were having debates about what it could be.

"Part of the brief was also to have something functioning, something moving. So we explored a little bit of the book where you twist the dial and the rocket lifts, but there just wasn't enough motion there to work, and it would be a very standalone thing. So we tapped into this idea of LEGO DNA and STEM being so intrinsic to the core building experience. It's nice to see it just bursting from the setting of this encyclopedic book of STEM."

With many LEGO space shuttles still on shelves from before and during 2024, it makes sense to downscale that part of Daniel's model, but the functionality has been maintained by making the DNA sculpture twist. It's a simple solution to what might have been too many major LEGO space shuttles on shelves, as much as this set is accompanied by a myriad of other non-space builds.

It's interesting to know that the main function of 21355 The Evolution of STEM might have seen the shuttle rise upwards too, though without any booster rockets this may have been unrealistic for an educational LEGO Ideas model.

You can see what else changed from project to product in 21355 The Evolution of STEM by clicking here. LEGO Ideas 21355 The Evolution of STEM launches on March 1, 2025, for £69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99.

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