The Venice Architecture Biennale has announced that this year's event will be postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus, with the scheduled Art Biennale being pushed back to 2022.
Organisers of the biennale, which is considered the most significant event in the architecture calendar, announced  the decision to postpone this year's event until May 2021 this morning.
According to the organisers, arranging the biennale within the current global pandemic has proved "impossible".
"The decision to postpone the Biennale Architettura to May 2021 is an acknowledgment that it is impossible to move forward – within the set time limits – in the realization of such a complex and worldwide exhibition, due to the persistence of a series of objective difficulties caused by the effects by the health emergency underway," said a statement on the biennale's website.
Biennale to take place 22 May until 21 November 2021
The biennale was originally scheduled to begin this week, on 23 May, however its start was initially postponed until 29 August due to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.
It will now take place in 2021 from 22 May until 21 November.
As this is when the Venice Art Biennale was schedule to take place, this event has been pushed back until 2022 and will take place between 23 April and 27 November.
Coronavirus has "prejudiced the realisation of the exhibition"
The decision, which was made after consulting with this year's curator Hashim Sarkis, was made to ensure the quality of the biennale.
"The current situation, up to now, has definitely prejudiced the realisation of the exhibition in its entirety, jeopardising the realisation, transport and presence of the works and consequently the quality of the exhibition itself," continued the statement.
"Therefore, after consulting with the curator Hashim Sarkis and in consideration of the problems, the invited architects, participating countries, institutions, collateral events are facing, thanking all of them for their efforts so far, La Biennale has decided to postpone the opening date of the Biennale Architettura to the year 2021, extending its duration back to the customary six months, from May 22nd to November 21st."
The theme of the 17th architecture biennale is How do we live together? The exhibition, which is expected to attract around 250,000 visitors, will aim to explore ways in which people can co-exist while wealth and political ideologies diverge.
The Venice Architecture Biennale is the latest major event to postpone until 2021. Keep up to date with all the coronavirus cancelations and postponements on the Dezeen events guide dedicated page.
Photography is by Tony Hisgett.