Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher has launched a tirade against the content of this year’s Venice Biennale, flagging the absence of architecture at the event – and declaring the future of the globe’s biggest architectural gathering as “up for grabs”.

“Most national pavilions, including all major European nations like Germany, France, Spain, UK, Belgium, Holland, Norway/Sweden, Finland, but also Japan, Canada, Australia and the USA refuse to show the work of their architects, or any architecture whatsoever,” he wrote in a 1,000-plus word diatribe on Facebook. “I don’t know about other national pavilions. I gave up after seeing no architecture in 12 out of 12 pavilions.”

The Bonn-born architect directed particular criticism at the German Pavilion, which is filled with piles of construction material.

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