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David Byrne has been writing songs about architecture for three decades. The first single by his postpunk art-rock supergroup, the Talking Heads, was 1977's Love >Building on Fire, and the band's second album was called More Songs About Buildings and Food. But now he seems more interested in making the buildings do the singing. This week the art student turned rock star turned avant-garde artiste will transmogrify a historic New York landmark into a massive, interactive keyboard. The project, called Playing the Building, plops a humble antique organ in the middle of a decaying 9,000-square-foot beaux-arts hall. Wires stream out from behind the organ, connecting it to a couple of dozen spots throughout the structure. From May 31 until Aug. 10, visitors will be invited to stop in, free of charge, and tickle its ivories: 11 keys will trigger hammers that clang against cast-iron columns and pipes; 5 will jump-start motors that make the ceiling...