Building work on Primark's planned international headquarters in Dublin will begin early next year and will be completed in 2015, the retail chain, which trades as Penneys in the Republic, has confirmed.

The plan proposes to transform its Mary Street offices, a listed building constructed in 1905, and the adjacent Chapel House on Parnell Street and link the two via an atrium and glazed courtyard.

Penneys has submitted a planning application to Dublin City Council detailing its bid to create the 125,000sq ft headquarters, which will accommodate more than 500 employees and serve as a hub for the chain's large network of external suppliers.

Primark, which is owned by the London-headquartered group Associated British Foods, has also announced 10 new stores across Europe.