Dublin's South Great George's Street is about to get a dramatic facelift now that Dunnes Stores has got the green light for its new £20 million corporate headquarters and shopping centre. The controversial scheme, which will back on to the grounds of Dublin Castle, will cover up to one-third of the entire frontage on the west side of the street, with only one building being spared - the Long Hall bar.

Dunnes closed down its large outlet near the corner of Exchequer Street in 1988 and then targeted the western side of the street, buying up building after building and boarding up their shop-fronts. Now, it plans to revive the street - and seriously alter the view from Dublin Castle.

The old buildings backing on to the castle grounds will be replaced by a five-storey edifice complete with four malt-house towers designed to "pick up the rhythm and cadence of the castle", according to Jimmy O'Connor of architects Arthur Gibney & Partners. Conservationists don't like the look of the new towers, but everyone seems to agree that it is better to do something than allow the street's slow decay to continue.