Mews developments don't have to be low-lying or coach-house style - as architects Neil Burke Kennedy and Brian Colgan have proved with their five-storey apartment block to the rear of a Georgian house on the north side of Merrion Square. Built at a cost of around £1.5 million, Merrion Plaza is a tall, elegant building that fronts on to Fenian Street but has its views firmly directed towards Merrion Square through full-length windows at the back.

It has five large two-bedroom apartments - one on each floor - ground level parking and an elevated paved garden for residents. Each apartment occupies a full floor and has around 1,200 sq ft, making them among the largest apartment in the city.

The layout is similar in each apartment. A big, airy hallway with a blonde timber floor has bedrooms on one side and double doors leading to a very large livingroom on the other. The livingroom has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden and glazed doors leading to a curved, deck-style balcony. The curved theme is repeated throughout the apartments with the kitchen and bathroom defined by curved walls. Glass brick insets on either side of the entrance to the livingroom allow light to filter into the utility room on one side and the shower in the bathroom on the other.

There is plenty of well-thought-out storage, including chunky timber built-in shelves in the livingroom and tall cupboards that will double as a hot press. The kitchen has a sleek range of grey and stainless steel units, with sand-blasted glass details including a porthole window overlooking the dining area of the livingroom.

Both bedrooms are at the front of the building and are simply designed with timber floors and built-in wardrobes. The main bedroom has a spacious en suite shower room. All five apartments are furnished and are being launched on the rental market this week at rates of around £1,800 per month.

The top floor unit, which has the same basic layout but a more dramatic livingroom with a high, barrel-vaulted ceiling, is likely to be let at a slightly higher level. Unlike most rental units in Dublin, the furniture perfectly matches the setting - armchairs and sofas have sculptural curves, tables and chairs are kept to a fashionable minimum, there are no wishy washy prints and windows are simply clothed in cream curtains or blinds.

Contact Gerry Burke Kennedy on 086-2644512 for rental details.