Hybrid Practice: Exploring the Complexities of Cross-Cultural Collaboration Through the Dialogue of Two International Practices

This chapter explores the design and communication processes of a multilingual, multicultural design team using different technical modes. The discussion focuses on the competition-winning project for the ‘Seoul Photographic Art Museum’, undertaken by the two architectural practices ‘Jadric Architektur’ in Vienna, Austria and ‘1990uao’ in Seoul, Korea. Based on the discussions with the design directors, the chapter explores the multi-modal process of online and offline communication between the two practices. Employing the qualitative research method of narrative inquiry, the study delves into the social, cultural, and interpersonal factors that frame the architects’ recollection of the design process. The chapter demonstrates the complexities involved in the development and execution of design development, offering to contextualise the use of various online, offline, digital, and analogue modes of operating necessary in undertaking a project of this size. This chapter reveals that this cross-cultural project highlights the diversity of contextual awareness that underpins architectural collaboration, from specific construction requirements to cultural practices, holidays, and work disruptions. The conversation between these two practices offers valuable insights into the dynamic and demanding processes that the contemporary architectural field encounters while operating within a multicultural and global context, all within the framework of complex technology.