The social media app is likely to disappear from the app stores of Google and Apple right away. But its unclear if users will completely lose access.

MacworldMessages is designed to sync across all your devices logged into to the same iCloud account. iMessages sync by default; SMS/MMS and RCS messages sync if youve enabled access to them from your iPhone. (Go to Settings > Messages [iOS 17 and earlier] or Settings > Apps > Messages [iOS 18] and under Text Message Forwarding, decide which devices receive these.)If you haveMessages in iCloud enabled, syncing and backup occur in part through iCloud, creating an archive thats restored to devices if you set up a new computer, phone, or tablet.However, readers regularly reportand I recently saw myselfthat Messages in macOS can lose the figurative and literal thread: you either wait a long time or never see some or all messages received on other devices. This appears to happen infrequently on iPhones and iPads (or at least you arent emailing us about it). Heres what you can do to trigger the syncing.Is iMessage not working? Find out if iMessage is down and how to fix iMessage problems on iPhone and iPad in our separate article.RestartSometimes, > Restartis all you need to get syncing started back up again.Use Sync NowWith Messages in iCloud enabled, you can go toMessages > Settings > iMessageand click Sync Now.Disable and re-enable Messages in iCloudIf you have Messages in iCloud enabled, also visitMessages > Settings > iMessageand uncheck Enable Messages in iCloud. Youll receive a prompt that alerts you to what happens next: Messages downloads all message data to your Mac and then stops syncing. You can opt to click Disable This Device, and that turns off Messages in iCloud for this Mac. If youre having seemingly broader problems, click Disable All to turn it off on all iCloud-linked devices.To re-enable Messages in iCloud, just check the Enable Messages in iCloud box in macOS. In iOS and iPadOS, go to Settings >Account Name> iCloud > Messages and enable Use on this iPhone or Use on this iPad.Disabling and re-enabling Messages in iCloud might kick your Mac or iCloud servers in the right way to get syncing restarted.AppleSign out of MessagesMessages (and FaceTime) both have a separate iCloud option to sign out and back in. Go toMessages > Settings > iMessage, click Sign Out, and confirm. Now, sign back in.When I recently set up a new Mac using Migration Assistant, everything worked after restarting, but my entire Messages history was missing. Signing out and back into Messages started the long download process.Sign out of iCloudSigning out of iCloud on your Mac can be a bad idea except in extreme circumstances, as it tries to make local copies of data and, if you sign back in, can take a long time to resync and produce duplicate entries, among other issues. But if none of the above steps work, its worthwhile.Start by making sure you have a full local backup of all your files. If you are syncing your Photos Library with iCloud and are using optimized downloads (inPhotos > Settings > iCloud), youll be prompted to download all images and videos before signing out. Make sure you have enough storage if you want to have a local copy before proceeding.Next, go to System Settings >Account Nameand click Sign Out. macOS requires confirmation. All of your iCloud-synced or -linked apps will ask you about how to deal with locally stored data and data only stored in iCloud. Work through all of those questions. Now, sign back in.This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by a Macworld reader.Ask Mac 911Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns:read our super FAQto see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours tomac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here.This week marks a strange anniversaryits five years since most of us first heard about a virus causing a mysterious pneumonia. A virus that we later learned could cause a disease called covid-19. A virus that swept the globe and has since been reported to have been responsible for over 7 million deathsand counting.I first covered the virus in an article published on January 7, 2020, which had the headline Doctors scramble to identify mysterious illness emerging in China. For that article, and many others that followed it, I spoke to people who were experts on viruses, infectious disease, and epidemiology. Frequently, their answers to my questions about the virus, how it might spread, and the risks of a pandemic were the same: We dont know.We are facing the same uncertainty now with H5N1, the virus commonly known as bird flu. This virus has been decimating bird populations for years, and now a variant is rapidly spreading among dairy cattle in the US. We know it can cause severe disease in animals, and we know it can pass from animals to people who are in close contact with them. As of this Monday this week, we also know that it can cause severe disease in peoplea 65-year-old man in Louisiana became the first person in the US to die from an H5N1 infection.Scientists are increasingly concerned about a potential bird flu pandemic. The question is, given all the enduring uncertainty around the virus, what should we be doing now to prepare for the possibility? Can stockpiled vaccines save us? And, importantly, have we learned any lessons from a covid pandemic that still hasnt entirely fizzled out?Part of the challenge here is that it is impossible to predict how H5N1 will evolve.A variant of the virus caused disease in people in 1997, when there was a small but deadly outbreak in Hong Kong. Eighteen people had confirmed diagnoses, and six of them died. Since then, there have been sporadic cases around the worldbut no large outbreaks.As far as H5N1 is concerned, weve been relatively lucky, says Ali Khan, dean of the college of public health at the University of Nebraska. Influenza presents the greatest infectious-disease pandemic threat to humans, period, says Khan. The 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a type of influenza virus called H1N1 that appears to have jumped from birds to people. It is thought to have infected a third of the worlds population, and to have been responsible for around 50 million deaths.Another H1N1 virus was responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic. That virus hit younger people hardest, as they were less likely to have been exposed to similar variants and thus had much less immunity. It was responsible for somewhere between 151,700 and 575,400 deaths that year.To cause a pandemic, the H5N1 variants currently circulating in birds and dairy cattle in the US would need to undergo genetic changes that allow them to spread more easily from animals to people, spread more easily between people, and become more deadly in people. Unfortunately, we know from experience that viruses need only a few such changes to become more easily transmissible.And with each and every infection, the risk that a virus will acquire these dangerous genetic changes increases. Once a virus infects a host, it can evolve and swap chunks of genetic code with any other viruses that might also be infecting that host, whether its a bird, a pig, a cow, or a person. Its a big gambling game, says Marion Koopmans, a virologist at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. And the gambling is going on at too large a scale for comfort.There are ways to improve our odds. For the best chance at preventing another pandemic, we need to get a handle on, and limit, the spread of the virus. Here, the US could have done a better job at limiting the spread in dairy cows, says Khan. It should have been found a lot earlier, he says. There should have been more aggressive measures to prevent transmission, to recognize what disease looks like within our communities, and to protect workers.States could also have done better at testing farm workers for infection, says Koopmans. Im surprised that I havent heard of an effort to eradicate it from cattle, she adds. A country like the US should be able to do that.The good news is that there are already systems in place for tracking the general spread of flu in people. The World Health Organizations Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System collects and analyzes samples of viruses collected from countries around the world. It allows the organization to make recommendations about seasonal flu vaccines and also helps scientists track the spread of various flu variants. Thats something we didnt have for the covid-19 virus when it first took off.We are also better placed to make vaccines. Some countries, including the US, are already stockpiling vaccines that should be at least somewhat effective against H5N1 (although it is difficult to predict exactly how effective they will be against some future variant). The US Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response plans to have up to 10 million doses of prefilled syringes and multidose vials prepared by the end of March, according to an email from a representative.The US Department of Health and Human Services has also said it will provide the pharmaceutical company Moderna with $176 million to create mRNA vaccines for pandemic influenzausing the same quick-turnaround vaccine production technology used in the companys covid-19 vaccines.Some question whether these vaccines should have already been offered to dairy farm workers in affected parts of the US. Many of these individuals have been exposed to the virus, a good chunk of them appear to have been infected with it, and some of them have become ill. If the decision had been up to Khan, he says, they would have been offered the H5N1 vaccine by now. And we should ensure they are offered seasonal flu vaccines in order to limit the risk that the two flu viruses will mingle inside one person, he adds.Others worry that 10 million vaccine doses arent enough for a country with a population of around 341 million. But health agencies walk a razor-thin line between having too much vaccine for something and not having enough, says Khan. If an outbreak never transpires, 340 million doses of vaccine will feel like an enormous waste of resources.We cant predict how well these viruses will work, either. Flu viruses mutate all the time, and even seasonal flu vaccines are notoriously unpredictable in their efficacy. I think weve become a little bit spoiled with the covid vaccines, says Koopmans. We were really, really lucky [to develop] vaccines with high efficacy.One vaccine lesson we should have learned from the covid-19 pandemic is the importance of equitable access to vaccines around the world. Unfortunately, its unlikely that we have. It is doubtful that low-income countries will have early access to [a pandemic influenza] vaccine unless the world takes action, Nicole Lurie of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said in a recent interview for Gavi, a public-private alliance for vaccine equity.And another is the impact of vaccine hesitancy. Making vaccines might not be a problembut convincing people to take them might be, says Khan. We have an incoming administration that has lots of vaccine hesitancy, he points out. So while we may end up having vaccines available, its not very clear to me if we have the political and social will to actually implement good public health measures.This is another outcome that is impossible to predict, and I wont attempt to do so. But I am hoping that the relevant administrations will step up our defenses. And that this will be enough to prevent another devastating pandemic.Now read the rest of The CheckupRead more from MIT Technology Reviews archiveBird flu has been circulating in US dairy cows for months. Virologists are worried it could stick around on US farms forever.As the virus continues to spread, the risk of a pandemic continues to rise. We still dont really know how the virus is spreading, but we do know that it is turning up in raw milk. (Please dont drink raw milk.)mRNA vaccines helped us through the covid-19 pandemic. Now scientists are working on mRNA flu vaccinesincluding universal vaccines that could protect against multiple flu viruses.The next generation of mRNA vaccines is on the way. These vaccines are self-amplifying and essentially tell the body how to make more mRNA.Maybe theres an alternative to dairy farms of the type that are seeing H5N1 in their cattle. Scientists are engineering yeasts and plants with bovine genes so they can produce proteins normally found in milk, which can be used to make spreadable cheeses and ice cream. The cofounder of one company says a factory of bubbling yeast vats could replace 50,000 to 100,000 cows.From around the webBird flu has been circulating in US dairy cows for months. Virologists are worried it could stick around on US farms forever.As the virus continues to spread, the risk of a pandemic continues to rise. We still dont really know how the virus is spreading, but we do know that it is turning up in raw milk. (Please dont drink raw milk.)mRNA vaccines helped us through the covid-19 pandemic. Now scientists are working on mRNA flu vaccinesincluding universal vaccines that could protect against multiple flu viruses.The next generation of mRNA vaccines is on the way. These vaccines are self-amplifying and essentially tell the body how to make more mRNA.Maybe theres an alternative to dairy farms of the type that are seeing H5N1 in their cattle. Scientists are engineering yeasts and plants with bovine genes so they can produce proteins normally found in milk, which can be used to make spreadable cheeses and ice cream. The cofounder of one company says a factory of bubbling yeast vats could replace 50,000 to 100,000 cows.

On This Day in HistoryAmericas First Viral Post Was Published on This Day in 1776, When Thomas Paines Common Sense Sparked a RevolutionThe Englishmans pamphlet helped spur the 13 colonies to declare independence from Britain Portrait of Thomas Paine by Laurent Dabos National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian InstitutionIt was Philadelphia in the winter of 1776. In the few years prior, the colonies faraway owner, Britain, had imposed taxation without representation and the so-called Intolerable Acts; colonists had convened at two Continental Congresses; and British and American troops had battled for the first time at Bunker Hill.Revolutionary sentiment had been brewing throughout the American colonies for some time and was near boiling in the Northeast. Still, many colonists had not seriously considered separating from the mother countryuntil a history-making pamphlet was published in the City of Brotherly Love on January 10, 1776.Thomas Paines Common Sense, addressed to the inhabitants of America, was a 47-page dynamo presenting the recently immigrated Englishmans clear case for Americas independence from Britain. Paines words flew off the shelves, selling tens of thousands of copies within weeks.The text has been called Americas first viral communications event: Its content gripped and inspired Americans, who loudly read it aloud on the street and in bars, spreading Paines message.In short, Paines argument was that given Britains tyrannical rule, the only way forward for the American colonies was to become an independent country. He tore down the idea of monarchy, questioning the legitimacy of kings like George III, who, like all other British kings, was seen as divinely ordained to rule.The divine right of kings is a lie; monarchy runs against Gods plans, Paine wrote. For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever.Paine encouraged colonists to unite against their colonial overlord and take their independence, then decide as a people who should govern them, as is their natural right. He accused those opposed to American independence of opening a door to eternal tyranny, reminding readers of the suffering Britain had inflicted upon them in the colonies and asserting that most of the colonies economic problems could be solved by separating from Britain.Just half a year after Common Sense hit the presses, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphiaa move certainly influenced by Paines writing, which inspired its chief author, Thomas Jefferson. Later that same year, when the colonies were on their backs, Paine wrote lin American Crisis the famous words: These are the times that try mens souls.Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph, he added. By the end of the American Revolution, Paine was regarded as a national hero.In the following decades, however, he became an outcast: The public didnt approve of Paines belief that organized religions promoted false representations of God, controlled the faithful and hoarded money. When Paine died in June 1809, only six people attended his burial in New Rochelle, New York.When Paine first published Common Sense, he did so anonymously, fearing hed be punished for treason if identified. He donated the royalties to the Continental Army. In time, Paine allowed for free reproduction of the pamphlet, ensuring its message was spread even further. By the end of the American Revolution, the pamphlet which was at first attributed simply to an Englishman had sold up to half a million copies.Or had it? Despite being hailed as the most viral work of its time, the true extent of Common Senses publication is contested. Paine himself claimed that over 100,000 copies of the pamphlet were in circulation, and a later biographer inflated the claim to half a million. That led a longstanding myth that a full 20 percent of recorded colonists probably owned a copy of Common Sense in 1776. But historian Ray Raphael notes these figures are implausible and writes that, given scant record-keeping at the time, we simply do not know how many copies were sold.Viral or no, Paines message resounded with colonists hungry for independence. But the exact extent of his publishing phenomenon has yet to be confirmed.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Ubisoft appoints advisors to oversee "strategic options"Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed by a month as part of ongoing reviewsImage credit: Ubisoft News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Ubisoft has appointed advisors to review various "strategic and capitalistic options" following previously initiated strategic and execution reviews."We have taken decisive steps to reshape Ubisoft to deliver best-in-class player experiences, enhance operational efficiency and maximise value creation," said Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot."We recently appointed advisors and are actively exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of our assets. We are convinced that there are several potential paths to generate value from Ubisoft's assets and franchises."As part of the ongoing reviews, Ubisoft has decided to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows by a month.The game was initially scheduled for release on November 15, 2024, but was delayed to February 14, 2025. The launch date has now been moved to March 20, 2025."[Ubisoft] is behind our teams' efforts to create the most ambitious Assassin's Creed opus of the franchise," added Guillemot."[We] have made the decision to provide an extra month of development to Shadows in order to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months that will enable us to fully deliver on the potential of the game and finish the year on a strong note."During a call with investors following the announcement (via GamesRadar), Ubisoft responded to reports of buyout discussions with Tencent."We won't comment on specific rumours that we've seen in the market," said CFO Frederick Duguet. "We will inform the market if and when a transaction materialises."Ubisoft said it will continue to undertake cost reductions and be "highly selective" regarding investments. It is expecting a "200 million reduction of its fixed cost base."The firm also shared its estimated Q3 net bookings to be 300 million, which is lower than expected due to the underperformance of Star Wars Outlaws and sunsetting XDefiant last month.As for the full year, Ubisoft has predicted net bookings of 1.9 billion and is expecting "new partnership opportunities for Ubisoft's games and franchises as well as for the monetisation of the streaming rights acquired last fiscal year."

Hitman World of Assassination reaches over 75m players | News-in-briefIO Interactive's 2021 stealth game launched in January 2021Image credit: IO Interactive News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Hitman World of Assassination reaches over 75m players

Source: DLA ArchitectureDLA Architecture has submitted plans for a large-scale residential and community-focused regeneration scheme in the Burnt Oak area of Barnet.The project would deliver 359 homes, including 177 affordable units, alongside a new library, nursery, and employment services hub. It is part of a collaboration between Barnet Council and the development arm of Bouygues UK.The Riverside Approach scheme spans three sites in Burnt Oak, with proposals including four residential buildings of six to thirteen storeys, a new public park, and community spaces such as a caf and co-working facilities.Alejandro Carrajo Garcia, associate at DLA Architecture, said: We are incredibly proud to collaborate with Bouygues UK and Barnet Council on this community-led, mixed-use scheme in Barnet.This transformative development will serve as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area while supporting the Councils vision of fostering strong, inclusive communities and safeguarding the environment for future generations. This is exactly the kind of project we are passionate about - revitalising rundown urban centres and creating vibrant spaces where people want to live.The design is intended to replace aging infrastructure, including the current library, with new facilities aimed at better meeting the needs of the local population.Proposed new librarySource: DLA ArchitectureSource: DLA ArchitectureSource: DLA Architecture1/3show captionThe new Burnt Oak Library, planned as a three-storey building, will also house council services and the childrens nursery, with external play areas and landscaped public spaces.Oliver Campbell, managing director of development at Bouygues UK, added: We are thrilled to be part of this innovative and community-focused project in Barnet.Working alongside Barnet Council and our partners, we are committed to delivering a development that not only meets the highest standards of sustainability but also enhances the quality of life for residents.Project team:Client: Bouygues UK (Development) / Barnet CouncilMain Contractor: Bouygues UKLandscape Architect: ArkwoodPlanning Consultant: IceniEnergy Consultant: Darren EvansStructural Engineer: Parma Brook

Planning officers at Glasgow City Council gave consent last month to both projects via delegated powers.Sheppard Robsons 20 India Street scheme for Vita Group includes 21,000m of residential and mixed-used amenities in an 18-storey building holding 591 individual studio bedrooms and 20 affordable flats.The ground floor includes study areas, a gym and lounges for students at the India Street end of the development, while a commercial unit will front the non-student element, facing Elmbank Crescent, opposite Charing Cross station.AdvertisementWest of Scotland Housing Association is jointly delivering the affordable flats.Sheppard Robson said the scheme would sit well with the Glasgow context and repair the fragmented urban grain caused by post-war development and the M8 motorway which runs to the west of the site.Practice partner Stacey Phillips commented: Our design prioritises student and residential experience and wellbeing while ensuring the scheme sits well with the Glasgow context. Source:Ed WrightSheppard Robson's 20 India Street proposals (January 2025)The array of social spaces and amenities will help create an environment where students can easily study and socialise together The civic-minded architecture aims to deliver new public spaces that will enliven the streetscape while being a good neighbour to the surrounding area.The approval came as Sheppard Robson posted its trading figures for the year ending 31 March 2024. The company reported an operating profit of 4.8 million, up slightly on the 4.7 million of the previous year. However, its turnover dipped slightly from 32 million to 31 million.AdvertisementConsent was also given to Michael Lairds 250 million redevelopment masterplan for a 67,500m2 site immediately north of Sheppard Robson's development at the junction of Sauchiehall Street, Bath Street and the M8.With consent for the outline masterplan granted, the Edinburgh-based practice will now draw up detailed applications for northern and southern sections of the scheme, which will be delivered in two phases and eventually deliver 750 student beds and 600 residential units plus offices.Under the consented masterplan, the first phase will include flattening Elmbank Gardens, designed by Richard Seifert, and the neighbouring Venlaw building to make space for a 750-bed student accommodation block, a 1,000m2 healthcare facility and a 1,000m2 retail or commercial unit.Phase two would include demolition of the current 300 Bath Street building also known as Tay House to be replaced with a mixed-tenure development providing 600 homes, 14,000m2 of office space and a 350-bed hotel.The second phase also includes the removal of the Tay House bridge, often derided as one of Glasgows Bridges to Nowhere, which runs above the M8. LDA Design is delivering landscaping design for the public realm areas. Source:Michael Laird ArchitectsMichael Laird Architects' masterplan for Charing Cross Gateway, Glasgow (March 2024)While building heights and designs are indicative, the masterplan suggests the Charing Cross scheme will, at around 23 storeys, be shorter than Hawkins\Browns approved nearby 36-storey student tower at Portcullis House.The Portcullis House scheme is set to be the tallest building in Scotland.Tay House, which was completed in the 1990s, has only recently undergone a 3 million revamp, according to Scottish Construction Now. Michael Laird Architects worked on that redesign, which involved rebranding the structure as 300 Bath Street.Over its lifetime, the building has been home to the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclay Stockbrokers, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board as well as the University of Glasgow.20 India Street was once home to the former Strathclyde Regional Councils 12-storey headquarters, designed by FS Boyer and Partners, which was bulldozed in 2015.The neighbouring Elmbank Gardens, which has housed offices and a hotel, was completed in 1973 to designs by Centre Point architect Seifert and was supposed to be part of a wider masterplan for the area between Anderston and Charing Cross. Source:Michael Laird ArchitectsMichael Laird Architects' masterplan for Charing Cross Gateway, Glasgow (March 2024)Planning documents say retrofitting all three buildings, although considered, is financially and environmentally unviable, given the scale of adaptation needed to the structures to deliver the Michael Laird scheme.The proposal to demolish the buildingswas slammed by environmental campaigners, including Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) Scotland and the Anthropocene Architecture School, when it was announced last August.In a press release last year, the schemes development team said the plans had the backing of Glasgow Chamber of Commerces chief executive, Stuart Patrick. He said: Its no secret that Sauchiehall Street has seen better days, and this application presents an opportunity to galvanise an iconic area of the city and re-establish it as a dynamic accommodation and business hub.Detailed plans of Michael Lairds scheme will be submitted in two phases of 27,500m2 and 40,000m2 respectively. If approved, demolition work is expected to begin later this year.There is no known timeline on the India Street scheme.Current site view

The nearly 30-year-old building has sat empty for nearly a decade and is due to be flattened as part of the redevelopment of the Adelphi Village area, a scheme backed by the University of Salford, Salford City Council and the English City Fund (ECF), as the AJ revealed late last year.The team made a prior approval application in November, effectively notifying the local authority of its intention to demolish the office scheme under permitted development rules.Despite efforts from environmental campaigners and a failed attempt by heritage group the Twentieth Century Society to get the landmark listed, the council signed off the university and ECFs request just before Christmas.AdvertisementThe Hodder block was completed in 1995 and was described as a dynamic, modern and sophisticated exercise in steel, glass and concrete when it won the first RIBA Stirling Prize the following year. It was originally designed to be the School of Electrical Engineering before a change of use, during construction, to the Faculty of Art and Design Technology.In 2018, plans were unveiled to convert the building into a primary school. This was under wider proposals by 5plus Architects for the universitys existing campus and surrounding area, which included the delivery of a significant amount of new housing.But the school scheme was ditched and the development team has been looking at explored multiple options for the long-vacant four-storey block. Demolition could start as early as March.The Twentieth Century Societys request to have the building listed was backed by a trio of campaign groups committed to highlighting the up-front carbon impact of demolition and rebuild: Architects Declare, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), and Dont Waste Buildings..In a statement Historic England said: While the Centenary Building has some design interest, winning the RIBA Stirling Prize in 1996, when considered against the criteria for listing buildings of a recent date, it lacks the special interest to merit listing in a national context.AdvertisementThe official report (see attached) adds: 'Although undoubtedly of some design interest, the Centenary Building was not technically innovative and has not been shown to be influential elsewhere, as was hoped when it was awarded the Stirling Prize.'A spokesperson for the project backers told the AJ in November that, while careful consideration had been given to the building history, it no longer met modern standards and requirements and had now been vacant for a third of its built life.They added: Future proposals will seek to incorporate sustainable building design practices and materials, ensuring support for Salfords sustainability goals.Speaking to the AJ when plans to demolish the block first emerged last November, Hodder Associates founder Stephen Hodder said he had received the news with great dismay.He told the AJ: This is not borne out of nostalgia, it being the inaugural RIBA Stirling Prize winner, or indeed the importance of the building to the development of our practice, but as an original signatory to Architects Declare and past chair of the Construction Industry Councils Climate Change Committee, I simply cannot support the demolition of a building that is only 30 years old.Hodder added: [Were] not aware that there has been an exhaustive effort to repurpose the building.For a university that promotes its sustainability credentials, the intention to demolish surely undermines the credibility of its policy.See the Centenary Building in the AJ Buildings Library

The store in central Athens uses the faade of the 1960s building while looking to subvert typical over-glazed storefronts by having an irregularly shaped window within this, offering only a glimpse of the interior and intended to create a sense intrigue for passers-by.Surrounding this window, aluminium panels are embossed with a pattern reminiscent of the intricate detailing found on 19th-century jewellery boxes.Where the aluminium meets the street, the material shifts to solid slabs of travertine and marble, while the stores extruded aluminium door handle is folded and inlaid with gold alluding to the jewellery within.Advertisement Inside, the design and materials play with light and dark, smooth and textural, with silk wall coverings contrasting strongly with a dark oak floor.At the rear of the store, a new staircase, hidden behind a series of bevelled glass panels, takes clients up to a new mezzanine housing a jewellery salon and viewing room. Within the mezzanine, the palette is paler and brighter with white carpet and soft furnishings intended to encourage clients to relax.Display cases are formed from lacquered wooden boxes set on delicate legs, while at the rear of the store, a lacquered cabinet wraps a structural column. The largest piece of cabinetry, meanwhile, forms the window display, while other details include custom-designed fluted lighting sconces and a monolithic marble sink.Architects viewOur intention was to create a space that simultaneously feels like its brand new but also as if it has always existed on that street. The idea of a jewellery box that has been inserted on the ground floor of a 1970s block was what kickstarted the design-process. Then we wanted to use Greeces long-standing craft/making tradition by using local craftsmen and local materials to make sure the store is embedded in the Athenian urban fabric in a more substantial way. The interior was inspired by Nikos jewelry which tends to have an immense amount of detailing. The more you look at it, the more you discover and that was something we wanted to be part of the customer experience.Billy Mavropoulos, co-founder and director, Bureau de ChangeClients viewThe store design encapsulates the ethos of artistic aesthetic and intricate craftsmanship that defines the brand. My creative idiosyncrasy and personal affinity for an assemblage of art, furniture and objects from different eras has been translated in what is a unique architectural intervention in the historical centre of Athens.Nikos KoulisProject dataStart on site March 2024Completion date July 2024Gross internal floor area 54m2Gross (internal + external) floor area 54m2Form of contract or procurement route TraditionalConstruction cost UndisclosedConstruction cost per m2 UndisclosedArchitect Bureau de ChangeExecutive architect Stage Design OfficeClient Nikos KoulisStructural engineer Building TrustLighting consultant LUUNMetal fabricator Georgios MitrasMain contractor Building TrustCAD software used Autocad