IT may be six months late arriving but like all good things it was worth waiting for.

The new £15million extension to the Theatre Royal has finally opened to the public - despite being promised in time for the Commonwealth Games.

Earlier this year, the Evening Times was invited to have a tour round the dramatic new structure when it was still a building site.

At the time, it showed promise of becoming something special but nothing can prepare visitors for the reality of what it has blossomed into.

No expense has been spared on what is now the new entrance to the historic Victorian theatre.

A stunning, sweeping spiral staircase in the centre of the building appears to float with no visible means of support.

The walls of the stair and the handrail are both covered in a rich red leather which has become known as Theatre Royal claret.

It was dyed to order by East End firm Andrew Muirhead, the world's biggest supplier of leather to the global aviation industry, supplying over 130 airlines and aircraft manufacturers.

The outer skin of the stairway is made from birch, with every piece of the complicated jigsaw cut to measure.

The floors of the extension are white marble reflecting the light which pours in from soaring walls of glass.

For the first time, the theatre has lifts to take people in wheelchairs or with mobility problems to all four levels - previously they were confined to the stalls - and in each level, areas have been set aside for wheelchair users.

Each of the four floors has its own bar, there are also two coffee shops and visitors can relax on custom-made seating.

One of the bars is at the very top of the building and boasts a large outdoor area with panoramic views across the city in all directions. It is believed to be the only public outdoor roof terrace of its kind in the city.

And for the first time, the theatre has a dedicated education space where it can work with young people.

The driving force behind the extension is Scottish Opera general director Alex Reedijk.

He had originally insisted it would be open in time for Glasgow to welcome the world to the Commonwealth Games.

But he said: "There were a myriad of small issues. Essentially, it proved more difficult than we expected joining the old and new buildings together. It is also an extremely tight site and an extremely complicated building."

Despite the problems, Mr Reedijk admits he is delighted it is finally finished and open for business.

He said: "Having lived with the idea, development and execution over the past five years I am really enjoying watching people's faces when they come into the building."

The opera boss says the new foyer celebrates what he describes as the three Gs.

He explained: "The building is clearly great for Scottish Opera because we have imagined and delivered it, it is great for the Theatre Royal because it will completely transform the audience experience and it is great for Glasgow.

"I believe in due course it will become the most amazing destination building where you can come for coffee from early in the morning to late in the evening."

Mr Reedijk takes particular pride in the bespoke joinery work which was carried out by backroom staff in the scenery workshop of Scottish Opera.

He said: "They build scenery for Scottish Opera productions, for the National Theatre of Scotland and have done a couple of shows for the Royal Opera House.

"We had never done an interior before but we bought machinery for the workshop, took on extra joiners and for the last 10 months they have done incredible, complex, bespoke joinery.

"This building, which was designed by city architects Page/Park is a celebration of Glasgow craftsmanship, design and the Theatre Royal."

Asked his reaction to the building Mr Reedijk looked around and said: "How good is this. Having put on shows for the past 40 years I have strongly held views on what I wanted the building and it is a fantastic Christmas present for Scottish Opera and for Glasgow."