News: Italian architecture and design magazine Abitare is to end the publication of its monthly print edition.

Italian media group RCS will print the final issue in March, though Abitare will continue to publish content online and there are plans to revitalise the printed edition according to Italian news site La Stampa

The design community took to Twitter over the weekend to express their disappointment about the news.

"Incredibly sad to hear that @abitare will close. Not good times here in Italy," tweeted writer and curator Joseph Grima, who was a special correspondent for the magazine and edited rival publication Domus from 2011 to 2013.

"Sorry to hear Abitare is closing, but amazed that it has taken so long for a big design/arch mag to go. Credit due for hanging in there," said V&A senior curator Kieran Long.

Writer and critic Justin McGuirk remarked: "Circa 2007-9 Abitare was really setting the standard. It was the one to beat."

"Sad to hear that historic magazine @abitare will close. They ran the 1st big piece on my work," said designer Sebastian Bergne.

RCS is also closing its economics journal Il Mondo as part of its new publishing strategy for 2014.

Abitare was launched in 1961 in Milan and is written in both Italian and English. Covering architecture, design, art and graphics, it became one of the world's best known design magazines.

Previous editors include architects Stefano Boeri and graphic designer Italo Lupi. The current editor-in-chief is architect Mario Piazza.

The latest issue 537 hit the news stands on 15 January (cover pictured).