David Byrne, left, and WNYC's Soundcheck host John Schaefer play the Battery Maritime Building. (Allison Lichter/WNYC)

NEW YORK, NY May 30, 2008 —At the tip of lower Manhattan, David Byrne has turned the inside of 19th century ferry terminal into a giant musical instrument. The former Talking Heads frontman has set up a retro-fitted, antique organ and wired it to the pipes, beams and plumbing of the Battery Maritime Building – and he’s inviting New Yorkers to come in and “play” the building. WNYC’s John Schaefer stopped by the cavernous hall a few days before the opening, to talk to Byrne about the sounds buildings make.

Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne