We all know that architects design buildings, but how about all that other stuff they do? From teapots to lunar cities, great minds have taken on some pretty far flung projects. What else? How about shoes?

• Architects Tread in New Territory: Shoe Design in Architectural Record

More:

• What Can I Do With a Major In Architecture?
• Tell Us: What Qualities Make a Great Architect?

Frank Lloyd Wright had the right idea when he drew plans for the Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium. That tourist destination never got built, but nowadays architects are designing all sorts of structures that put cars in fancy places.

• Exhibit: House of Cars, Innovation and the Parking Garage at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. through July 11, 2010.
• Book: The Parking Garage: Design and Evolution of a Modern Urban Form by Shannon Sanders McDonald (compare prices)
• Photos: Parking Outside the Box in Metropolis Magazine.

Images:
Above: "Pez-dispenser" design for a Zipcar garage, 2004. Image Courtesy Moskow Linn Architects Inc.

Right: Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1924-25. FLLW FDN # 2505.039 © 2009 The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness was born on November 12, 1839. Known for his bold and oversized Victorian buildings, Furness became one of the greats of the Gilded Age. However, his dramatic buildings faded in popularity and many have been remodeled or destroyed.

Wonderful photos of Furness's works are housed in the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania.

Have you brought new life to an old house? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your old-house renovation project and show us a photo. And, go ahead - brag a little. You have a lot to be proud of.

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Related:

• Remodel Your House
• Update a Victorian House
• Change the Siding

American architect Stanford White was born on November 9, 1853. His Italian Renaissance Revival buildings and Shingle Style homes made Stanford White one of the most prominent architects of the Gilded Age.

In addition to elaborate summer homes for the Vanderbilts and other wealthy families, Stanford White designed the New York Herald Building, Madison Square Garden, and New York's Washington Square Park Arch.

Like his buildings, Stanford White's personal life was lavish. A red velvet swing hung from the gold leaf ceiling in his Madison Square Garden apartment where he entertained many beautiful young women. Eventually, Stanford White was shot in Madison Square Garden; he died in the building he created.

November 8, 1793 marks the date that the French revolutionary government turned the posh royal palace in Paris into what became one of the world's most famous museums: The Louvre.

But what's with that odd glass pyramid out front?

^{Louvre Photo © Alexei Nabarro / iStockPhoto}

November 7, 1917 marks the second stage of the Russian Revolution when Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky lead Communist revolutionaries in a violent overthrow and captured the Winter Palace. You may have seen slightly different dates for these events - Russia still used the Julian calendar. But by any records, Russia's political upheaval brought dramatic changes, including a transformation in the visual arts.

Join us for a photo tour of Architecture in Russia. And, to learn more about the Russian Revolution, see this history timeline, from About European History.

^{Shown here: Hermitage Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo from ArtToday.com.}

French architect Jean Louis Charles Garnier was born on November 6, 1825. Garnier was inspired by Roman pageantry and aspired to design buildings that had the drama of a pageant. When he designed the Opéra in Paris, Garnier combined classical ideas with over-the-top ornamentation.

More French Architecture: Architecture in France

Archaeologist Howard Carter thrilled the world when, on November 4, 1922, he discovered steps leading down to the ancient tomb of King Tutankhamen. Soon a fascination for Egypt found expression in clothing, jewelry, furniture, graphic design and - of course - architecture.

By 1925, the world had a jazzy new style known as Art Deco...

Obama has named the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne to serve on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. It will be interesting to see whether Mayne can bring an architectural air to the Committee, which throws illustrious members like cellist Yo-Yo MA together with popular icons like "The Devil Wears Prada" fashion editor Anna Wintour.

The 26-member group is charged with fostering arts activities through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) .