Material Artistry Meets Modern Forms with SO-IL

As a firm which has already won major awards, worked on culturally significant projects on a large scale, and generally achieved substantial success and recognition in just over 10 years, SO-IL seem to straddle a line between being an “emerging” and an “established” practice. Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu founded SO-IL (Solid Objectives-Idenburg Liu) in 2008 and have since gained a reputation for modern, clean-lined designs, but often with a unique material twist.

Material Artistry Meets Modern Forms with SO-IL - More Images

Resisting the formalism popular in architecture today, SO-IL instead focuses on a rational, stripped-down, essentialist approach to designing space. Therefore they don’t necessarily have a recognizable or consistent style between projects, but rather a cohesive atmosphere of openness and simplicity.

MINI LIVING - Breathe, SO-IL. Image Courtesy of SO-IL

Liu and Idenburg both prefer to seek projects that allow them freedom to experiment and clients who are willing to take risks. “We’re very attracted to projects with a public component and to clients who want to think about the future,” expresses Liu.

Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, SO-IL. Image © Iwan Baan

SO-IL’s current project, the Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Museum in Hong Kong, is tucked within an existing development by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). The convex glass envelope slices through the middle of the complex, comprised of 475 custom-made 30-foot-tall glass tubes. Each glass tube had to be tested to ensure its curves were tight enough and that it was structurally sound, a process that took over eight months to resolve.

The 30-foot-tall glass tubes in the CTF facade. Image Courtesy of SO-IL

A commitment to craft becomes increasingly difficult to maintain as the firm’s projects grow in scale. The firm itself has also had to adjust in recent years as it transitions out of its initial start-up mentality. While admitting to the challenges, Liu and Idenburg see this phase as an opportunity for growth and experimentation.

Kukje Gallery. Image © Iwan Baan

This Article was originally published on Metropolismag.com.

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Cite: Megan Schires. "Material Artistry Meets Modern Forms with SO-IL" 03 Jun 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/918269/material-artistry-meets-modern-forms-with-so-il> ISSN 0719-8884

CTF Museum under construction within the existing KPF development. Image Courtesy of SO-IL

SO-IL建筑的屋顶艺术形式与材料的结合

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