SO – IL
Jing Liu: She // Her // Hers
Florian Idenburg: He // Him // His
[ID: A portrait of a woman and man in the model shop of the SO – IL studio in downtown Brooklyn. The shop is full of white shelves and metallic tables, which contrast sharply with the two artist’s dark clothing. The two people look small amongst the busy shelving and bric-a-brac of the studio. The woman stands next to the seated man, her arm resting on his shoulder as they look in opposite directions.]
Brooklyn, NY
2022 USA Fellow
This award was generously supported by The Todd and Betiana Simon Foundation.
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SO–IL is a New York-based architectural design firm founded in 2008 by Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg.
Jing Liu has been practicing for more than fifteen years, both in the United States and abroad. Liu has led SO–IL in its engagement with the sociopolitical issues of contemporary cities through building practice and interdisciplinary research projects such as the Artist Lofts on Lake Street in Omaha and the Martin Luther King, Jr. branch library in Cleveland. Her projects range from artistic collaborations with contemporary choreographers and visual artists to master plan and major public realm design in cities including Melbourne and Indianapolis.
Florian Idenburg is an internationally renowned architect with more than two decades of professional experience. Idenburg founded SO–IL in New York with Liu after learning the ropes in Amsterdam and Tokyo. His years of working in cross-cultural settings make him a thoughtful and collaborative partner. With a joyous demeanor, he pursues innovation through working together. He has a particularly strong background in institutional spaces, leading the office on projects such as Kukje Gallery in Seoul, the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis, and the Amant art campus in Brooklyn. Idenburg’s strength lies in generating imaginative ideas and transforming those into real-world spaces and objects.
Portrait photo by Vincent Tullo.
Amant art campus. East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Photo by Rafael Gamo.[ID: Photo of a view down an outdoor passageway of light, textured concrete, leading to a doorway. A triangular awning hangs overhead.]
Public seating area. Jackson Heights, Queens. Photo by Cameron Blaylock.[ID: Photo of a team of people installing a public seating area in Jackson Heights, Queens, as neighborhood residents look on. The structure is built in the street in front of a row of businesses and is made of a wire frame and transparent plastic, with colorful bags of insulation visible inside.]