Plakolm-Forsthuber, S. (2026). Dora Gad: Gestalterin des Israeli Design der 1950er bis 1970er Jahre. In T. Moser, S. Plakolm-Forsthuber, & H. R. Stühlinger (Eds.), OFF! De-Centering Feminist Architectural History (pp. 241–252). TU Wien Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.34727/2026/isbn.978-3-85448-083-9_17
The architect Dora Gad (1912–2003), who trained in Vienna and emigrated to Palestine in 1936, was involved in the development of identity-forming Israeli design after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. This ideologically influenced design was tested and spread internationally in tourist buildings such as hotels, ZIM luxury ships and El Al airplanes, as well as in their international representations. Characteristics of Israeli design were the use of local materials and colours, which referred to the Mediterranean cultural area, the adaptation to the climatic conditions, and the cooperation with Israeli artists. The themes taken up in her works were dedicated to Jewish history, which served to reassure the newly emerging society and contributed to the formation of identity. Gad also applied Israeli design to state buildings such as the Knesset and the Israel Museum, making a significant contribution to nation building in the field of interior design.