The cathedral was the tallest structure in the Low Countries for several centuries. Even now, the 123 meter (405ft) tall spire reigns over the city. Partly due to height restrictions in Antwerp, it is still the tallest building in the city. As an example of the aspirations of Antwerp in its golden age, Emperor Charles V laid the first stone of a substantial extension, three times the size of the current one, which would make it the largest building on earth. Water damage resulting from a severe fire in the nave in 1533, which destroyed the ceiling and the gothic furniture, prevented the construction of this megalomaniac project.