A planning application is due to be lodged for a new €10m international literary centre in the heart of Dublin.

The Ulysses Centre, which is a partnership between UCD and the National Library of Ireland, is due to open at Newman House on St Stephen's Green in 2018.

The new centre will include a permanent exhibition space in the currently unused Aula Maxima, originally the university's main hall.

The project will celebrate the Irish literary tradition, with a particular focus on James Joyce, who was a student at UCD.

Architects Scott Tallon Walker have produced a design for linking the Aula Maxima to the other Newman House buildings to improve access.

Failte Ireland has provided a €2.5m grant towards funding the centre, with a "substantial" philanthropic donation coming from Martin and Carmel Naughton.

UCD says the Ulysses Centre will be a "rich resource for visitors to Dublin who will enjoy immersing themselves in a wonderful literary experience".