Though I'm just coming across it for the very first time, the German phrase "Gute Form" has an auspicious place in the history of modern design. If I had to guess at its meaning out of context, I'd say it has something to do with lower body development and Austrian bodybuilding, but in fact it translates as "Good Shape," and was first coaxed into existence by the sublime and stylish surrounds of the FK Chair.

The piece won this supreme adulation for international design not long after its debut in 1969. Arguably the crowning achievement of the nine-year partnership between Architects/Designers Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm, FK signifies "classically good design all over the world... with its unique shape, clear contours and perfect lines, its unmistakable appearance is absolutely timeless."

FK. Designed by Preben Frabricius, Jørgen Kastholm. Modernized by Walter Knoll.

That the foregoing praise is voiced by Walter Knoll-current manufacturer of a slightly souped-up version of FK-does not diminish its accuracy. Like Pierre Paulin's F444 and the Eames’ Lounge Chair, FK is one of those pieces that defined modern design. Simply put, today's A&D lexicon would not be the same without it. In fact, FK is one of those chairs that seems to be everywhere at once, perhaps because it spawned so many derivative designs. FK is widely credited with embracing and inspiring a "new formal language" in design. This meant receptivity to newer materials like metal and plastic-veritable heresy at the time, especially in view of the historical Danish fondness for wood.

Fabricius and Kastholm both revered fellow Danes Arne Jacobsen, Hans Jørgen Wegner, and Finn Juhl-the three most influential Danish designers of their day-and the story of the success of FK is also the story of the rise of the younger duo: "slowly but surely the elite architects and designers began to accept Fabricius and Kastholm as equals; partly because of the awards the partners received for their work." (Danishnet.com). If the awards prompted Jacobsen, Wegner, and Juhl to take a closer look, surely what they saw impressed them no less than succeeding generations of forward-thinking designers.

Walter Knoll's latest version of FK features a glossy black shell with the familiar comfortable, durable, and eminently stylish leather seat. This particular FK stands on three metal legs, but the classic is also available in a five-legged version on castors or gliders.