SO–IL (Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu)

SO–IL, civic and cultural architecture between New York and Amsterdam

SO–IL (Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu) is an architecture studio with offices in New York and Amsterdam, founded in 2008 by Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu, who met in Tokyo in 2001. The firm presents itself as an internationally recognized architecture and design studio that conceives structures capable of establishing new cultures, institutions, and relationships.

The studio takes on commissions of various kinds: cultural, civic, residential, commercial, and educational buildings, both new construction and adaptive reuse, and ranges from temporary installations to long-term urban strategies. Its approach combines construction craft, attention to detail, and intellectual rigor, with the stated goal of contributing to a stronger civic realm.

Projects and areas of practice

Among the projects cited by the studio are the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis, the Kukje Gallery, Amant in Brooklyn, the K11 Arts and Culture Center in Hong Kong, the Williams College Museum of Art (a 78,000-square-foot contemporary art museum), the Artists Loft North Omaha, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Cleveland. The firm has also worked on CubeHouse, a 183,000-square-foot headquarters for BNP Paribas and Arcadis in Amsterdam, certified BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold, and on the residential project 144 Vanderbilt.

The practice includes collaborations with artists, curators, and cultural institutions, which broadens its perspective and enriches the material and experiential qualities of its architecture. The studio maintains an active dialogue with academia: Florian Idenburg has taught at Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Princeton, and is a current professor at Cornell University.

Team and leadership

Jing Liu, principal and AIA member, has more than fifteen years of practice on projects in the United States and abroad. She has led the studio on sociopolitical issues of contemporary cities and on projects ranging from artistic collaborations with choreographers and visual artists to master plans and public realm designs in cities such as Melbourne and Indianapolis. She leads her projects from concept to realization.

Florian Idenburg, principal and AIA-IA, is a Dutch architect with more than two decades of experience. After training professionally in Amsterdam and Tokyo, he founded SO–IL in 2008 together with Jing Liu. He has a distinguished track record in institutional spaces and has led projects such as the Kukje Gallery, the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, and Amant in Brooklyn. He is a registered architect in the Netherlands and an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects. In 2010 he received the Charlotte Köhler Prize from the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund.

The leadership team includes Kevin Lamyuktseung (Associate Principal), Karilyn Johanesen (Senior Associate, AIA), and Jonathan Molloy (Senior Associate, AIA). Lamyuktseung has led projects such as Amant, the Manetti Shrem Museum, and the K11 Arts and Culture Center, and currently leads the Williams College Museum of Art. Johanesen oversees projects, design development, and construction administration, and has been key to the studio's residential portfolio in Brooklyn alongside Tankhouse Development, in addition to leading the design of CubeHouse. Molloy leads some of the firm's largest and most complex projects, including the new Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Clients and recognition

The client portfolio includes institutions such as Amant Foundation, Arper, Artpark, Art Omi, Brooklyn Music School, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Cleveland Public Library, City of Paris, Communauté de communes du Pays de Bitche, Frieze Art Fair, Google, G&S&, Ideo, Imuvi Development, City of Leon, Independent Art Fair, Issey Miyake, Ivan and Jane Chermayeff, K11 Art Foundation, Knoll, Kukje Gallery, Kurimanzutto, Logan, Lumana, MAAT, Meicang Art Center, Melbourne Arts District, MINI/BMW Group, New Inc, NYC Economic Development Corporation, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Storefront for Art and Architecture, Tankhouse, Telfar, Tina Kim Gallery, The Museum of Modern Art (New York), The New Museum of Contemporary Art, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Province of Antwerp, Oliaros development SA, Versace, Whitney Museum of American Art, Williams College Museum of Art, University of California, Davis, and UCCA.

The studio's work is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Mellon Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Benaki Museum, among other private collections. The firm and its work have received numerous awards and recognitions, including ArchDaily's Building of the Year in the housing category (2024), Fast Company's Innovation By Design Award in the home category (2023), The Architectural Review's New Into Old Awards (2023), bronze at the Erich Mendelsohn Award for Brick Architecture in the public buildings, recreation, and sport category (2023), the nomination of Amant + Las Americas for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (2022), and the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2022).