Burj Khalifa

Name: LEGO Burj Khalifa 21031
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 21031
Rating: 4.6 (278 reviews)

73 · RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: BBB2016333 pcsHigh agreement · 93%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

278

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"The 21031 Burj Khalifa earns its Recommended BrickScore of 72.7 as a solid upgrade on its predecessor with a more accurate silhouette and a beautifully executed base, though a few craft limitations and a price that feels slightly high keep it from reaching Highly Recommended territory."

The 21031 Burj Khalifa is a clear improvement over the 2011 original, better representing the building's tapered asymmetrical silhouette and petal-shaped base. Expert reviewers landed at a BrickScore of 72.7 with a Recommended verdict, noting strong design gains paired with some craft limitations. Owners rate it more enthusiastically at 4.6 out of 5 across 278 ratings, with 96% recommending it on LEGO.com, suggesting casual buyers and architecture fans connect with it strongly despite the critics' measured take.

Where they split: The main split is between expert and owner sentiment. The Brickset review gave it 65, calling out the too-narrow proportions and loss of the fins detail versus the 2011 version, while owner ratings cluster at 4.6 out of 5 with 96% recommending. JANG rated it 80, more closely matching owner enthusiasm. The gap suggests casual buyers and landmark fans respond warmly to the model even when critics see craft compromises.

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LOVED (7)

01Much more accurate representation of the building's shape than the 2011 version
02Petal-shaped base praised as beautiful and well-executed using newly available Brick 1x4x1 Inv. Bow elements
03Impressive height at around 36-39 cm, towering over other Architecture sets
04Two-part construction with separate upper spire sub-assembly that can be rotated
05Visual flow from bottom to top creates an optical illusion of greater detail
06New light grey elements and clean color palette appropriate to the subject
07Thoughtful use of asymmetric taper to replicate the real building's varying levels

CRITICIZED (6)

01Price felt high relative to piece count by multiple reviewers; one owner rated value for money at just 20 out of 100
02Loss of vertical texture detail compared to the 2011 version, which used 1x1 round cylinders to convey the building's cross-sectional fins
03Tower appears too narrow relative to its height
04Horizontal banding with dark grey parts does not read as deep as it should
05Aligning cladding at the top (mounted on a single stud) is noted as fiddly and challenging
06Limited appeal outside Architecture set collectors; LEGO.com owner value scores average only 3.96 out of 5

What reviewers are saying

"I think that this better represents the shape and is in general a better Lego set."

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"The 333-piece 21031 is the fourth Architecture set to be released in January."

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

First LEGO Architecture Burj Khalifa (from 5 years prior) — This version is definitely better. The first one was not received very well, was a pretty simple build with mostly large stacks of 1x1 cylinders in gray. This one has a lot more building involved and better represents the shape overall. However, the original had better vertical texture with the cylinders on the wider panels.

21008 (2011 Burj Khalifa) — The new 21031 is much better overall with an improved base and more accurate asymmetrical shape, but the 2011 version better conveyed the distinctive cross-sectional 'fins' using 1x1 round bricks, which the new version loses. Old version has 'purist charm.'

New Cityscapes Architecture sets — Cityscapes sets are far more appealing in the reviewer's opinion compared to the 21031.

ArchitectureTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

"I think that this better represents the shape and is in general a better Lego set."

Key Pros

✓Base design with petal-like shapes is well-represented and pretty
✓Upper spire sub-assembly is nicely shaped and detailed
✓Better represents the building's actual shape compared to first version

Key Cons

✕Loss of vertical texture detail in the main body compared to original version with cylinders
✕Horizontal banding with dark gray parts doesn't go as deep as it ought to

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"The 333-piece 21031 is the fourth Architecture set to be released in January."

Key Pros

✓Much better than the 2011 version
✓Petal-shaped base is well-reproduced
✓Asymmetrical tapered design improves accuracy

Key Cons

✕Does not convey the distinctive cross-sectional 'fins' as well as the 2011 version
✕Tower width-to-height ratio appears too narrow

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

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Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: Part of the limited Architecture Landmark series; second set of this subject.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Technic pulleys
Part of internal structure holding the assembly together
Brick 1X4X1 Inv. Bow
Appears for the first time in light grey; used for the petal-shaped base.
Flat Tile 2X2 Inv.
New in light grey; used in the top section of the model.
3-Branch Cross Axle W/Cross H
Used multiple times to form the triangular section of the tower structure.
Technic bricks with axle hole
1x2 Technic bricks used as structural connectors.

What Owners Say · summarized from 15 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners overwhelmingly praise this set as a significant improvement over the original Burj Khalifa model, with excellent architectural detail and impressive height making it a standout display piece.

COMMON PRAISE