Lighthouse Island

* See also Lighthouse
* See also Port Of Rapture
* See also Geography
* See also Construction
* See also Secrecy_For_Rapture
* Connects to Welcome Center
* See also Sea Mount and Mt Ryan
Rapture's Little Bit of the Surface 
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LOCATION OF RAPTURE'S Lighthouse THERE IS ONLY ONE RYAN, ONE LIGHTHOUSE AND ONE RAPTURE 
Future Level Map + Description HERE
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A place of significant activity during Rapture's Construction
The place you the Player initially enter Rapture through (in BS1).
A rather obvious giveaway to the World of where Rapture is ( New Rapture wants to demolish it )
Of course there was much more to it than what we saw in BS1.
Lighthouse (positioned) proximity to Welcome Center and to Mt Ryan ( as its supported by rocks built up on the top close to the surface ).
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Rapture's Surface Facilities :
During the primary construction phase ('46-'52) a huge complex existed up on the Ocean surface ( near the Lighthouse ) to facilitate the City's Construction.  They included docks for the ships and cable trams to transfer goods and materials from nearby anchored ships to the City below, as well as docks within a breakwater for smaller boats to transfer goods and people.  A Construction Yard above and below water ( shallow area on the top of the old underwater volcano ) was used to assemble the structural shells of buildings ( using pre-constructed parts brought by ships and some larger sections towed from various land production facilities ).
Bulk Cargo had a separate cargo cable system which descended down to Port Rapture. Its terminus, which was half a mile south of the Lighthouse and near 600 feet deep, was where cargo transportation to the rest of the City was connected.
With continuing (post 1952) of minor Construction in Rapture, there should still be a prefabrication site operating near the Ocean surface, doing any additional significant building work -- still done where it is far easier to do the work ( with conventional divers, machinery and conventional work above the water surface ). 
Even after 1952, some city expansion was still being done ( Tunnel type construction had expanded greatly, largely eliminating creation of new 'buildings' ).  Some faulty buildings may have needed replacing.
The large complex at Persephone ( one large complex built late ) obviously would be floated into place in sections that fit through the cavern openings, before being embedded into the rock walls ( working without a seabed adds huge difficulty for any work, as would the close/closed terrain ).
Fontaine's (the 'department store'/mall) would have been built late -- Its radical design did not match the City's normal safety standards ( probably saving alot of money ) -- done for the 'effect'.  We know that Fontaine wasn't particularly concerned with it lasting any longer than he needed, and so it was a disaster waiting to happen.
The City's surface facilities were downsized, and unneeded visible structures were demolished.  Some facilities/structures had been pre-planned to eventually be moved - some were added as farm supply warehouses for the expanded Tunnel Farms near Ceres Green, and at least one became a community center at one of the satellite suburban locations.  Some industry may have reoccupied useful sections close to the Ocean surface ( where air was an important more-accessible resource ).
For some reason Ryan had not yet had the Lighthouse itself demolished ( being an obvious Un-Secret 'giveaway', and having the potential to eventually attract unwanted notice/attention ).  It is possible that was 'In Planning' at the time of his 'Death'.    It is possible that if we saw no view of it ( ending BS2 1968 ) that it may have had some alterations by that time ( at minimum, the light may no longer work with lack of maintenance ).   It was mentioned as 'Lighthouse' in SitS (just before the events of BS2), and still had a working Bathysphere, but not much specifics are given.
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StormyWaves.jpg|The North Atlantic during a storm can be very bad.
SpruceGoose.jpg|Something like this to make deliveries ( nothing too heavy ). Maybe a bit smaller.
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Facilities :
: Refueling facilities for Sea Planes at 'Lighthouse'
: Radar interference system
: Freight Transfer ( different way than those tiny Bathysphere things )
: Air Intakes/Siphons ( used early, maintained as a backup )
: Traffic Control for during construction
: Power Units for construction ( until Hephaestus was online )
: Dock with Tugs and Ship Servicing
: Anchorages/Breakwaters ( The North Atlantic is virtually NEVER a 'calm' Ocean )
: Communications Transmission systems and antennas ( used to guide boats and planes and submarines )
: The Light of Course ...
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Boat Dock At The Lighthouse :
* Sheltered docking bay to keep the boats safe (entirely enclosed in the rock) from high waves in storms etc...
* Boats used are 'sinkable' for repairs/construction/concealment in Rapture facilities.
* Ryan had his men do patrols on the surface around the area of Rapture apparently resulting in some mysterious ship disappearances and sinkings ( kind of a dim way to 'Keep Things Secret' when you have that 150 foot lighthouse saying 'HERE WE ARE" ).
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Raptures Build-Phase Infrastructure - Surface Construction Housing :
To do alot of the major construction near/at the surface ( making prefabricated building sections ) would, besides the work worker/transport facilities, require worker's housing.
The shallow spot where the Lighthouse is perched is a ridge on the rim of the underwater volcano Rapture is located within. A whole construction yard existed around the Lighthouse, with a breakwater and docks, multitudes of construction machinery and workspace, housing, freight transfer facilities, storage, etc ...
With significant work also 'down below', housing for workers would be required there as well ( commuting back and forth would be considerable extra infrastructure ). I've made the Hotel Monsenor as one of the first real building created, and it would be immediately used for Staff/Worker housing.
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Building Prefabrication (Surface Work) :
This is for the Primary Building structure - External walls and Internal supports of those walls ( floor plates and columns ). Internal secondary floors, walls and interiors will be added once the building is placed ( and dried and cleaned ).
Many pre-made components would be/should be (efficiently) pre-built on the mainland, and shipped to the vicinity of the Lighthouse.
External Windows/Pressure Door/Utilityway Seals get inserted and solidly anchored.
Components are assembled, being fastened together ( with many Rebar tie points and concrete filling is poured and cured ).
Structural and Water pressure testing is done on the whole section before it is released for the transfer to the building assembly below. ( Transport down and placement is a whole 'nuther complex process ).
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THE SINKER : 
Giant Submersible Platform ( mentioned in the game ) - Which would be the initial terminal station down there at the ~600 foot depth, where much of the transit from the 'surface works' would go to ( They need facilities for workers/equipment and infrastructure for communications/power ). They would have Cable Tram lines hauling down men/tools/equipment, supplies and many of the pre-built/pre-fabricated components. This Tram would also be used to control/guide the submersion of pre-fab building sections ( using lights/cameras/winches/pulleys/cables/anchors, etc ... ) .
The initial Platform was assembled and lowered from the Olympian (Ryan's Freighter) for the first major start of construction. Quite a few additional bits were likely subsequently added. A section at the ocean's surface would support what was below (like for Power), as well as what effectively was an elevator mechanism connecting the Surface to 'Down Below'. There would be anchors to hold the Sinker in place to not be moved by Ocean Currents.
The Sinker would then remain for years to assist bringing down all the bulk stuff the Immigrants brought with them - placed in containerized pressure-proof modules that could then 'dock' with the entry way below, or go into large Airlocks ( so to transfer all those people's possessions ).
In-Game, there might be a Misunderstanding that the 'Platform' is somehow the 'Foundation' for all of Rapture. THAT would require far too huge a structure - miles in extent ( much much bigger than the "Olympian" ship itself ). 
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There would be a story of Construction Crews manning 'The Sinker' rig calling it "The Stinker" when the plumbing system went out and the sanitary conditions suffered. The problem was corrected, but that name stuck.
Create Diagram of The Sinker
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MMORPG - The Games Weather Simulation System :
* Simulated Weather on The Surface ( area of the game ) would be part of the game ( some quests deal with going up to the ocean surface ). Obviously you would have Day and Night Cycles, but season weather is alot more detailGame Weather Effects : "Red Dead Redemption 2" does a very impressive handling of various weather conditions and effects. . Ryan might have storms/hurricanes/tornadoes be included as hazards up there ...
* The Novel hinted there is a weather reporting system mounted on the Lighthouse, which was used to coordinate operations on the surface. Ryan had his Security minions operating boats to interdict Smugglers, and to organize operations for new arrivals ( and to intercept boats that 'found' the Lighthouse/Rapture ). It is generally wiser to keep a lower profile for that.
* New Rapture still has issues with 'smugglers', and probably would also have some carefully planned missions to go to 'The Surface' to go get critical items the City needed ( Placed Agents would be a channel to arrange for purchase and transport of certain goods - There may be a whole intelligence/procurement apparatus in operation to facilitate this ).
* The risky HUGE Lighthouse has been slated for removal by the City ( probably to be replaced by a submergible unit ) - A surface installation is still needed for the City Air Intakes, the Weather System and the Entranceways are still also needed to function. (( IDEA - Sink the original Lighthouse structure into a prominent place within New Rapture ))
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The Tethered Antenna Balloon at the Lighthouse :
* Ryan maintained communications with his remaining World empire, and used a special radio-like link ( heavily encoded transmissions of course ). The transmissions likely were relayed to hide its Rapture origin point ( possibly in Iceland ). Couriers for bulk/voluminous data would be used in the early days.
* The Balloon aerial was raised for regular transmissions to similar (frequently moved) installations in Ryan's Surface organization. Helium would be used and the rig would likely have an integrated lightning arrestor.
* Yet another of the many Lighthouse features seen when the Player gets the Quest(s) to go there and survey it for its planned demolition.
* The system used a low frequency technology developed by "The Greatest Electrical Engineer of our Age" (Ryan) that could not be traced/located ( so it cannot give away Rapture's location ).
* Somewhere in Rapture is Ryan's War-Room, where he has his maps and status boards for ALL of his operations. One board traces Jack's progress from a safehouse in America to the 'Apollo Airlines' plane flight, and then across Rapture. A posted order is still seen ordering the LightHouse's light to be turned on the night of Flight DF-0301.
* Ryan's Faction ( who largely have joined New Rapture, but a shadow group still operates ) still maintain contact with his Surface Organization, and have assisted in acquiring components/materials/tools/know-how the New City desperately needed. The same communication system is still employed ( Rapture's Secrecy is still maintained ), and there is more to the system than is commonly known - even to those 'privy' to its existence.
* The Balloon also could mount a high-powered light beacon to help guide supply ships to Rapture when radio silence was maintained and inclimate weather effects visibility ( since the Lighthouse Beacon no longer functions ).
If and When the Lighthouse is fully removed, the Antenna system's function needs to be retained.
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Logical Feature For the Lighthouse Island - a Breakwater :
In the earlier phases of construction when 'The Sinker' was at the bottom building infrastructure foundations, 'platform ships' ( and moored barges ) were up on the Ocean surface acting as docks for the supply ships. There was much trouble with the heavy Atlantic storms causing constant damage and disruptions. A better system was required.
Huge amounts of quarried rock ( much taken from excavated seabed foundations ) was hauled up from the depths and dumped in a shallow spot on the submerged volcano to build up an artificial island ( with a good dose of Concrete and Rebar to fully solidify it ) which the Ocean and storms could not damage. A surrounding rock seawall was built up above the waters surface to protect an unloading area ( about where the Lighthouse steps are ), for small boats to use for transferring cargo and passengers from the ships anchored a safe distance away. As construction got fully underway, the island/seawalls were improved and expanded.
Ryan would already have had his vision to built 'the Lighthouse' by then, as the Entrance Bathysphere/tunnel that goes straight down on that spot was built at about the same time.
The Initial building on the Lighthouse Island site housed large diesel generators used to supply the surface and construction works below with power and powered large compressors to supply air.
There was a separate dock added for an underwater Cableway to facilitate transfer of masses of materials/freight down to Rapture ( to Port of Rapture ). A Cable Tower was built on the island which ran a transfer cableline directly to ships moored 500 feet away, so that the mass of cargo could be efficiently transferred without clumsy loading and unloading of small boats.
From Port of Rapture, Atlantic Express freight trains and construction submarines distributed the cargoes throughout the growing City. 
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The Lighthouse Ship Parking :
It is not like you could just pullup in an Ocean Liner to a dock ... You are located on the Open Ocean.
Stuff had to get into Rapture 600 feet down below. It all had to be unloaded first. The Lighthouse is the obvious access point, with various facilities to handle freight. Those tiny Bathyspheres can barely hold anything of significant volume OR weight ( If you 'Load em up' with much more than about 8 people's weight, a Bathysphere would sink like a stone. ) So something more versatile and with more capacity would be needed for such Freight handling. A haulage cableway DOWN the side of the Lighthouse ridge would haul a great deal of the cargo. 
Lighthouse Facilities :
* Open Ocean currents require anchorage/moorings close to ocean's surface ( and further out when weathering the frequent stormy conditions ).
* Use of smaller surface boats to transfer from larger ships, which have to moor/anchor further off for Safety ( and even the small boats would need a breakwater ).
* Possible use of small Tugboats to stabilize the anchorage, and to facilitate the prefabrication construction work.
* How many boat/shiploads (tonnage) did it take to build and then populate Rapture ??? ( Not just the people but all their Possessions too ? )
* A Cubic yard of ready-made cement = 1.5 tons ??? ( Assume aggregate is supplied locally ) There WOULD be *ALOT* of this material delivered to Rapture.
* Alot of good sized prefabricated components would be made on the mainland ( and even by being assembled as much as possible before being shipped to save on costs ).
* Use of Unobtrusive Tramp Steamers for shipments ( possibly even some transshipment mid-ocean when weather permitted ) to 'obscure' the 'secretive' operation/project/city.
* Methods of hiding the operation as much as possible ... Unfortunately there is substantial infrastructure involved. Unloading speed was important, and much was done to facilitate the operations.
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