Architecture: our translation service for your design

Linguistic services for the world of architecture

Our translation agency has developed SMG Culture, a dedicated line of linguistic services specifically for the fields of culture and architecture. We translate a wide range of multilingual publications for institutions, magazines and architectural firms, providing specialised linguistic support for texts related to architecture, civil engineering, interior design and urban planning. Since 1998, we have translated millions of words and provided simultaneous interpreting services for technical and creative meetings, primarily in English, French, Spanish and Russian.

In the past we have translated design concept books, housing projects, urban planning documents, technical specifications for construction, international tender procedural guidelines, final construction designs and construction site documents. We also regularly work with public administration, providing translations in English, French, German, Spanish and many other languages for websites, regional promotional materials, travel guides and information boards for architectural monuments across Italy.

Since 2009, we have translated texts on Medici, Renaissance and medieval architecture. Our journey as translators for Venetian and Palladian architecture began in 2008. We have been providing translation and interpreting services for design projects since the 1990s. In recent years, we have developed specialised translation and interpreting services for housing projects in Romania, Hungary, Russia, Croatia and Poland.

We also provide interpreting services for conferences—including simultaneous, consecutive and chuchotage (whispered) interpreting—as well as interpreting services for guided tours.

An interesting journey: SMG's experience in the world of architecture

SMG Languages began providing translation services for design and architectural texts in the late 1990s when we were just a small translation studio. We were fortunate to collaborate with some of Milan’s design institutions, such as Fabrizio Ferri’s Università dell’Immagine. Our portfolio soon expanded to include renowned organisations such as Politecnico di Milano, Domus Academy, La Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA) and Istituto Europeo di Design (IED).

During this period, the first international design schools emerged, drawing students from all over the world to Milan and generating a constant need for translation and simultaneous interpreting services. Our translation agency seized this opportunity, diving into a busy phase where we delivered thousands of hours of interpreting services and translated hundreds of pages of text. It was an incredibly demanding time! The fast-paced environment and the requirement for high-quality translations tested our resilience and instilled in us the ability to be attentive and adaptable, even under pressure.

A major milestone occurred in 2008 when we secured a translation services contract with the Veneto Region and, the following year, with the Tuscany Region. As official translators for these regions, we were entrusted with translating texts related to some of Italy’s most treasured artistic heritage, including the magnificent sites of Florence, Venice and Verona. This marked the beginning of an incredibly rewarding journey, earning us significant professional recognition at the institutional level.

In 2009, we won an important contract with BBT SE, the company responsible for managing the Brenner Base Tunnel. Translating highly technical engineering texts and critical legal documents for this client was no easy feat. With strict deadlines and an attention to detail rarely seen in other translation fields, BBT SE taught us a great deal about civil engineering. We shared a rigorous translation approach, including on-site translator training and a complex terminological revision process.

Today, the challenge continues as we work with an ever-increasing number of clients and countries. We are and always will be deeply grateful to those first clients who helped us shape who we are today. Thank you!