Fontaine's Department Store (Business)



Fontaine's is one of the largest known retail establishments in Rapture. This place serves as the main location in both BioShock Infinite's downloadable contents, Burial at Sea - Episode 1 and Episode 2. It consists of a trio of large department stores isolated from the city after being sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

History
While Frank Fontaine is most well-known for his role in the development and commercialization of the Plasmid industry, he had ownership of numerous businesses which facilitated his growing wealth. Fontaine Futuristics oversaw the creation of a variety of different products including pharmaceuticals, Bathyspheres, electronics in household appliances and many more. Rather than selling his products through other distributors, he cut out the middleman and set up Fontaine's to showcase and sell items from his various businesses.

In addition to the department stores, Fontaine's featured a home delivery service for purchases through the use of Pneumo Lines throughout the place. It also housed several recreational businesses and diners, for example Jack Frost's Village and its ice rink at the top of the main building, the Bistro in the second building or the Manta Ray Lounge in the third.

After Fontaine's battle with Rapture's security forces ended in defeat in September 1958, his businesses and various assets were seized and taken over by the city. Fontaine's was closed in the following months, and Andrew Ryan and the Rapture Central Council ordered the store to be quickly converted into a prison, Fontaine's remaining followers to be imprisoned within and the building's access from the city disconnected. The prisoners, mainly Splicers, were forced to fight against each other for resources even though the city continued to provide them rationing, while the ocean slowly flooded the place due to high pressure above the structure's techincal specifications.

Burial at Sea - Episode 1 and Episode 2
Fontaine's features three department buildings:
 * Fontaine's Department Store
 * Housewares
 * An unknown third building

Only the first two parts of Fontaine's can be visited during the first downloadable content: the main building and its pavilion which acts as a hub, and sells mainly articles of clothing, and the Houseware Department dedicated mostly to electronics and home appliances. The third one will be featured in the second episode, and houses among others the Bathysphere DeLuxe showroom and workshops, and the Manta Ray Lounge.

Behind the Scenes

 * Fontaine's uses several depictions of Poseidon, the Greek "God of the Sea", prominent mostly with the main building being shaped like the god's bust. Moreover, the two towers and submersible tram linking the buildings together are shaped into seahorses, a reminder that Poseidon is also known as the "Tamer of Horses", though the use here of the marine fish is more a play on the words "sea horses".