The Abend Family Lecture: Jing Liu and Florian Eidenburg of SO-IL

The Department of Architecture welcomes Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg of SO-IL for their lecture.

Jing Liu co-founded SO – IL with Florian Idenburg in 2008. Over 20 years of practice, Jing has brought an intellectually open, globally aware, and locally embedded sensibility to her work spanning a wide range of mission-driven projects.

Through building practice and interdisciplinary collaborations, Jing has led SO – IL to explore new construction techniques, such as in Kukje Gallery in Seoul and K11 Museum in Hong Kong — and to engage with the spatial-material conditions of cities in transformation — in projects like Martin Luther King Library in Cleveland, Neighborhoods Now initiative in New York City, and the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation. In each case, Jing carefully considers the feedback loop between the cultural, social and economic systems unique to the place and its design practices and seeks to make positive contributions toward its equitable, thriving future.

Florian Idenburg is a globally recognized architect with over two decades of experience, particularly known for his innovative work in residential architecture. After honing his skills in Amsterdam and Tokyo, he co-founded SO–IL in New York in 2008 with Jing Liu. Florian has made significant contributions to multifamily housing in Brooklyn, where he has designed a number of widely recognized projects that push the boundaries of traditional typologies. His work spans both market-rate and affordable housing, demonstrating a unique ability to innovate within the constraints of market realities.

Florian’s expertise lies in re-imagining residential spaces, creating environments that enhance the quality of life for their inhabitants. His projects are marked by a keen intuition for the interplay of form, material, and light, transforming imaginative concepts into tangible, livable spaces. His approach to housing design is captured in the book *In Depth: Urban Domesticities Today*, which explores how SO-IL "hacks" traditional codes, cores, courts, and corridors to promote well-being and community in urban living. Through his thoughtful approach and collaborative spirit, Florian continues to influence the future of residential architecture, in urban contexts like Brooklyn and beyond..

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