While perusing the pictures to choose from, the dramatic changes to ordinary materials caught my eye. First, the buildings with massive red shutters demonstrate Amsterdam’s culture, but in what ways? Aesthetically, the shutters provide an irregular interpretation to a broadly used material. In other words, the larger size and red color of the shutters are deliberate, possibly for the purpose of simply being different. Another way the use of this regular item might be interpreted is to draw attention to the building from a given viewpoint. The red brightly contrasts the brick building and stands out against others surrounding it. 
The second image that stood out to me were the odd shaped faces of the buildings facing the canal. I enjoyed the variety of the designs and colors, but again, it leaves me wondering what the intended purpose of these facades. The uniqueness of the designs and placement of the windows are likely for aesthetics, yet the drastic and rigid shapes of the buildings emphasize similarity and cohesiveness as the canal continues.
