Comments update: news that 3D-printing pioneer MakerBot was laying off staff and closing stores became one of this week's biggest talking points – read on for more on this and the other most commented stories on Dezeen.

Make or break: MakerBot announced the restructuring of its business after failing to hit growth targets, which prompted one reader to question whether the 3D-printing bubble had burst.

"3D printing is a gimmick and this proves it," argued Guesty. Others strongly disagreed and predicted demand for the technology would increase in the future.

"To describe 3D printing as a fad is ridiculous," wrote James. "But high-street shops were a bad move and always going to close because [3D printing] requires too much effort in a world where one click can already deliver anything you want." Read the comments on this story »

Marmite architecture: Renzo Piano's new home for the Whitney Museum of American Art won over critics despite its "ungainly" appearance, but prompted some strong reactions from Dezeen readers.

"I've seen this building in person extensively, and it's an absolute mess," said Colonel Pancake. Guisforyou agreed, attacking the building for a lack of design "cohesion" – while Dave Carcamano went described it as a "boring example of industrial aesthetics".

However, the response wasn't entirely negative. "When you walk around it, you realise that the building responds differently on each face because each side of the site has a radically different context," argued one fan. "I always respected Piano as a humanist and a master craftsman. I had never really appreciated him as a master architect until now." Read the comments on this story »

In loving memory? this week's most controversial story was a phallus-shaped urn designed to allow a widow to be more intimate with the ashes of a deceased partner.

"Dezeen has reached another low point," wrote Ferdinand. "I realise that this macabre object draws attention and makes you want to publish it, but I believe you could make a stronger statement by not publishing it."

Regular Dezeen commenter M. Vitruvius said that "there is a fine line between madness and genius", concluding "sometimes it's just madness".

Amid the jokes and angry reactions, one commenter appreciated the designer's intention. "Sexuality and grief are not things to mock," wrote LocoCabasa. "This is love." Read the comments on this story »

Crossed wires: Kengo Kuma surprised commenters with his Tokyo bar design featuring tufts of brightly coloured electrical cabling.

"Kengo is truly one of the experimental creatives of our times," said spadestick. "There's nothing that shows a repeat of languages in his work."

One guest commenter even suggested it was time the Japanese architect was awarded the Pritzker Prize, but many others questioned Kuma's judgement.

"It's obvious that the designer never had to maintain or clean something like this," said GeorgieGirl. "Logistically, it's an abomination and I can only imagine the number of times a day patrons will snag something in the dangling, tangled mess." Read the comments on this story »