Wales Brothers

* See also Sofia Lamb
* See also BS2
* See also The_Rapture Family
* See also Religion_In_BioShock
* See also Rapture_Cityscape
* See also Tall Buildings
Architects Which Ryan Brought To Design Rapture's Styling
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Simon and Daniel Wales :
They were brought into the Rapture project near its very start to design and build significant parts of the city. Note - a majority of the city wasn't "Cathedrals", but a system of modular prefabricated building sections ( Ryan and the other investors didn't have endless Money after all ). Facades would be added over the plain primary structures so to show off an Art Deco styling.
Their business was likely a victim of the economic distress caused by the major decline of City Construction ( them being architects and builders ) around 1952 -- economic disruption much like the problems facing Prentice Mill (AE bankruptcy) and others.
The Masons Quarter ( previously a showcase of the Architects' art and a residential district ) was repurposed to 'entertainment', as an organized Red Light District (as Sirens Alley) with at least one of the brothers (Daniel) becoming a local proprietor and provider of related services. Shady operations like Fontaine's Little Sister Orphanage were also located there and at least one ADAM bootleg operation. Simon Wales found a new calling when he adopted much of Sofia Lamb's philosophy, and ran a hidden cult church in the area. Sofia Lamb apparently resided in Sirens Alley not far from that 'church', before she was exiled to Persephone for Sedition.
When the %27civil war%27/Anarchists Rebellion came around, Sirens Alley business likely 'fell off' more than a little. It is not clear how much fighting took place in that vicinity. Later, with Sofia Lamb's attaining authority over the district, there was further deterioration and careless occupation, evidenced by what the Player sees years later. Daniel and Simon had influence and authority for running the district for her.
The Wales' operations and all the people in the area were killed intentionally ( flooded by Sofia Lamb ) apparently to make a 'Mommy Dearest' point to the Big Daddy known as Delta ( who was traveling through to attempt to rescue Sofia's daughter from Sofia's maniacal plans ). Delta kills Simon to get ahold of a security key to move forward in his mission. Delta may have killed Daniel Wales or not, and Daniel possibly escaped the destruction Sofia carried out.
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Wales Brothers :
Look what happened to the Wales Brothers, who's impressive work in Rapture was found to be 'leaky' ( Similar things happened on some Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright - An actual famous Architect. buildings ). Form over Function ... Expensive retrofitting and changes were made to more than a few of their buildings. Hopefully, THAT was early in Rapture's Construction. The Wales Brothers were relegated to designers rather than builders. Later, with little new building in Rapture, they had to find other employment (ie- religion scam artist and pimp ... ).
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Wales Brothers Were Supposed to be 'Great' Architects ? :
Why replicate the Chrysler building ( probably the most iconic of the Art Deco skyscrapers ) verbatim ? Same shape is repeated several times - if you look at Raptures 'skyline' - not too original. But then assembling a whole cityscape - Its overall effect may have been the larger goal. Dozens of famous architects created that NYC skyline of iconic buildings ( not Ionic - that's a blue 'gel' ), so it is not unreasonable that 'copying' the work of decades of genius could really be the only way to produces something like that in Rapture. 
Frank Lloyd Wright built famous buildings that leaked and sagged. But those were NOT built 600 feet under water.
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Design of Rapture :
Achievements :
Reputation :
Demise : Delta 'terminated' (maybe) each of the Brothers. Wouldn't it have been nice to not have to kill them to get that passkey (or whatever was needed) to advance in the game ?? For the MMORPG recycling these characters, we can always resort to the Vita Chamber loophole.
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Wales & Wales Architects :
Simon Wales : “Daniel… you and I drafted Rapture's blueprint together ... 'Wales and Wales, Architects.' Do you remember ?” 
Daniel Wales : “Then Andrew Ryan says he wants Wales an' Wales for Rapture -- a Cathedral with no God, befittin' the ascent o' man”. 
Builders of Cathedrals ? Oh, really ? Not all that many new 'Cathedrals' built around 1945 ( or during the war years, or during the Depression leading up to it ). Architects as designers, or builders ?
Mainstream Christian Churches are unlikely to employ outspoken Atheists to build their churches. Cathedrals typically took decades to build. Design might not take much time, but until built they don't actually get much acclaim.
Having the Wales's designing Art Deco buildings (including a few churches ) in the 20s/30s/40s might've been a bit better/reasonable story-wise factoid there ( "Too loose with the logic, like shit through a bloody Goose" - as Simon Wales would have said. ) BS2 writers used them as a 'dig' against religion ( 'Father' Wales falling for Sofia Lamb's bizarre Cult Religion ), as well playing with Rapture's "Atheism vs Religion" issue ( just continuing the weak parade of game writer's Strawmen there ... ).
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Leaks :
The Wales brothers were not structural engineers, but architects who were concerned more with the big vision instead of small details. Rapture's deep undersea environment posed some unique problems, with little previous experience available. Thus, there were some shortcomings in the way Rapture got built - as in the inevitable leaks/seepings which required some retrofitted solutions. Rapture had years to adjust, with addition of more pumps and drainage and more maintenance to retrofit and correct for the problems. Further buildings had the improvements built-in.
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Wales Bros Buildings Leaked, But So Did Many of Frank Lloyd Wright's (in the Real World) :
Except that Wright's leaks would NOT drown you ( His buildings weren't built under the Ocean ).
“Daniel... you and I drafted Rapture's blueprint together ... "Wales and Wales, Architects." Do you remember ?” ― Simon Wales
Daniel Wales (Audio Diary) : "Blasted Simon. So Rapture leaks… cryin' about it's only gonna add to the surplus o' moisture, isn't it ? Nothin's to say it's our design, but Simon goes to see Doctor Lamb anyway -- beset by guilt 'cause we can't find another contract ... And he comes out the other side, sayin' he's always wanted to take 'the orders' -- He's "Father Simon Wales" now ! If I ever see that Sofia Lamb in the street I'm gonna give her the back o' me fuckin' hand, and a knot on the head besides ! "
Daniel Wales (Audio Diary) : "(Sigh) Fuck it. I'm proper drunk and feelin' introspective. Now, in the motherland, Simon and I designed cathedrals together. But I was the black ol' sheep back there, never believin' a word o' the Jesus bollocks meself. Then Andrew Ryan says he wants Wales an' Wales for Rapture -- a Cathedral with no God, befittin' the ascent o'man. Now I'm runnin' girls ... and Simon thinks he's saving souls. Father Wales -- Ha ! Can ya believe I shared a womb with such a sap ! "
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"Cathedrals" in the Plural ? Not many Cathedrals were built at once ( and were usually decades-long projects ), and the Great Depression and WW2 also slowed down the available work. Acclaim isn't usually given to "Also Rans" who may have merely submitted designs for proposed "Cathedrals".
The Wales Bros were Architects, not Deep Water Engineers. I don't think Ryan would leave it upto 'architects' for critical engineering details like structural watertight integrity, do you ? For 'under-the-ocean' building - I doubt there would be many experienced 'Architects' for that.
Basic theme/styles/shapes coordinated across Rapture - fine. So the losing their jobs (further contracts) is a rather weak/contrived story detail. Simpler Explanation for their financial distress/unemployment : After a while there just wasn't alot of NEW architecture construction (and design work), and possibly further work was when many affluent people already had enough of their preferred 'style' (already all around them). Once Rapture went into Chaos (after Ryan died) there wouldn't be much 'architectural' work anyway and the brothers would need to seek other employment.
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Wales Bros History :
Wales Brothers - What carrer design/construction history did they have before/during W W 2 ? Construction of anything large except for government use was largely stopped. Likewise the Depression slowed previously started projects (except perhaps government funded buildings). Also : 'Cathedrals' take decades to build (some centuries), and that is AFTER the work doing the design is completed. 
They were brought in (to Rapture) very early (1945), so couldn't have any post-WW2 work underway.
War Projects ?? Even though they were Irish Catholic ( Eire beings a Neutral country in that War )
More of Levine's BS 'Authentic Diversity' ????? - By having YET MORE Irish characters ? ( I call "Shennanigans" on his claims to have followed this newly announced 'diversity' in any significant way in his gamemaking ). 
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For the Want of a Nail ...
One of the reasons the Wales Brothers had business trouble was : They did not foresee Rapture's leak issues (they were poor engineers), which required retrofitting additional drainage systems and pumps in many of their buildings. They got a bad name for being over-budget, despite their ability to construct impressive architecture. Other builders designed their buildings with the proper systems (Rapture Standards) in their initial designs and plans, so more of the City's mundane structures had not as many similar problems. 
Simon Wales quote : "Bulkhead doors ruin the Aesthetics !!!".
The way that Stanley Poole so easily flooded Dionysus Park, it sounds like that Place ( a retrofit of an earlier building ) was a 'Wales Brothers' Project ( Note- their association with Sofia Lamb ... )
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"Secret Church" (Sirens Alley Pump Station #5) :
Why need it be secret after Ryan is dead ? At the time of that game ( BS2 when Sofia Lamb is running things ) it wouldn't any longer need to be 'secret'. It may have been a 'secret' before, if Simon Wales was recruiting for Sofia Lamb's 'philosophy' while Ryan was still alive, and Sofia was still locked up in Persephone. Later in the city's chaos it would no longer matter.
The Pump Station is Not really a great spot for 'secret' if the city facility was still operational, though it is possible the workers there were bribed or threatened into silence about its presence ( the place may also have been fixed up to be 'churchy' in the intervening years ).
BTW, Where exactly do you get pews (seen in the 'church') when organized religion is basically banned ? 
More ad hoc collection of chairs would have been better. Giant Pictures of their worshiped images - with the later state of Rapture, where would you get canvases that large?? I don't even recall seeing any of the egotistical Cohen's paintings being that large ( a big one in Fontaine's office in Fontaine Futuristics ? )
An entire mural drawn in blood might have been more daring to present ( and more symbolic of the Ways of the Family's "mother". )
Corpses of people sitting there ... Simon's sermons must've been particularly boring ...
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Return of ... :
Daniel Wales - The Pink Pearl gets flooded by Sofia (just to show Delta how ruthless/uncaring she is). Even if Delta didn't kill him, Daniel Wales would still die ... OR would he ??? Did Wales, if he decided to leave, have a way out of that building complex -- Viaduct passages to nearby buildings, Sewer, hidden Sub, even a Diving Suit ( and the BD Tonic to use them, etc ... ) ? Or did he 'ride it out' like the Captain of the Titanic as his brothel flooded around him ?
What part did Daniel Wales play in Sofia Lamb's little kingdom ? Was he left alone because Sofia wanted to keep 'Father' Simon Wales with her ( HE was a potential threat, who could turn his 'churchgoers' against her ? And his brother might be a surety for his 'loyalty' )? Daniel Wales did not seem to be a 'Boss' of more than that building, though Sofia Lamb probably needed a number of 'upper tier' minions to keep all the others 'in-line'. His occupation (pimp running a brothel) may have served as a distraction for the people under Sofia Lamb's control, while she was working out how to turn them all into Borg.
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Daniel Wales - We coulda had alot more fun with this character - Sander Cohen 'light'. 
Proprietor of Sofia Lamb's sanctioned Whore House ...
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