Operational equipment, such as the scenery hoist, and parts of the building fabric were also deteriorating. A proposal to refurbish the existing facilities and extend the theatre was developed by the Council’s in-house architects, with LDN Architects appointed as architectural consultants and the Adapt Trust advising on accessibility. Construction of the extension began in August 2003, with the theatre closing completely in March 2004 to allow refurbishment works of the existing part of the building. The theatre reopened in August 2005, with a opening ceremony taking place on 8 September which was attended by Prince Edward. The extension is a five-storey triangular structure built on the car park to the east of the existing building, with three storeys below the level of Rosemount Viaduct. It was constructed from Kemnay granite to match the original building facade and features a large glass facade facing Rosemount Viaduct. The choice of a glazed structure was in response to the desire to enliven the frontage of the building and highlight the activity within. The roof is finished in pre-patinated copper to match the dome on the original part of the building. Accommodated within the extension are new front-of-house facilities, including a box office, restaurant, coffee shop and corporate hospitality area. The auditorium seating was re-upholstered with increased leg-room provided in the stalls by replacing the rows and offsetting seats. Back-of-house facilities were also improved, with upgraded technical and audio-visual equipment installed, a new green room, enhanced dressing rooms and a purpose-built rehearsal and education area. A key aim of the project was to make the building fully accessible to those with disabilities and to that end, the project included the installation of two lifts, provision of accessible toilets & dressing rooms and creation of space for wheelchairs across the different levels in the auditorium. The project cost £7.9m and was jointly funded by Aberdeen City Council, the Scottish Arts Council Capital Lottery Fund (£2m), Scottish Enterprise Grampian (£375,000) and private sponsorship. It was recognised with a commendation in the 2006 Civic Trust Awards and was a joint winner in the major buildings category of the Society of Chief Architects for Local Authorities' Civic Building of the Year Award 2006. The Scottish Executive featured the project as a case study in its 2007 policy document on architecture, describing it as a "thoughtful integration of the old and new" with the improved facilities and comfort conditions