22 CSS Image Galleries03 / 22

Pure CSSMIT licensed

CSS Flexbox Expanding Panel Gallery

A full-width split of tall vertical panels that slide open from flex:1 to flex:5 on interaction, revealing a title and blurb over the image — the immersive expanding-panels hero landing pages and case-study indexes search for.

Published

Live Demo
Try it

The code

<section class="gl-09" aria-label="Expanding panel gallery">
  <div class="gl-09__row">
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/architecture?lock=901')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Structures</h3><p>Concrete, glass and the geometry of modern cities.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/wilderness?lock=902')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Wilderness</h3><p>Remote landscapes far from the nearest road.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/portrait,people?lock=903')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Portraits</h3><p>Faces and the stories written across them.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/ocean,water?lock=904')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Water</h3><p>Oceans, rivers and everything in between.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/night,stars?lock=905')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>After Dark</h3><p>Long exposures under a moving sky.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
  </div>
</section>
.gl-09,
.gl-09 *,
.gl-09 *::before,
.gl-09 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.gl-09 ::selection {
  background: oklch(0.7 0.15 250);
  color: #fff;
}

.gl-09 {
  --accent: oklch(0.72 0.15 250);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  padding: 0;
  background: #0c0e12;
  display: flex;
  align-items: stretch;
  justify-content: center;
}

.gl-09__row {
  display: flex;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100vh;
}

.gl-09__panel {
  position: relative;
  flex: 1 1 0;
  min-width: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-decoration: none;
  background: var(--img) center/cover no-repeat;
  filter: brightness(.62);
  transition: flex .6s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1),filter .5s;
}

.gl-09__panel::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  background: linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(8,10,16,.85),transparent 60%);
}

.gl-09__panel:hover,
.gl-09__panel:focus-within {
  flex: 5;
  filter: brightness(1);
}

.gl-09__inner {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  z-index: 2;
  padding: 32px;
  color: #fff;
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(24px);
  transition: opacity .5s .15s,transform .5s .15s;
  max-width: 520px;
}

.gl-09__panel:hover .gl-09__inner,
.gl-09__panel:focus-within .gl-09__inner {
  opacity: 1;
  transform: translateY(0);
}

.gl-09__inner h3 {
  font-size: 30px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -.01em;
}

.gl-09__inner p {
  margin-top: 8px;
  font-size: 15px;
  line-height: 1.5;
  color: rgba(255,255,255,.85);
}

.gl-09__more {
  display: inline-block;
  margin-top: 14px;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: .04em;
  color: var(--accent);
}

.gl-09__panel:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid var(--accent);
  outline-offset: -3px;
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .gl-09__inner h3 {
    font-size: 22px;
  }

  .gl-09__inner p {
    display: none;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .gl-09__panel,
    .gl-09__inner {
    transition: none;
  }
}
/* No JavaScript — flex jumps to 5 on :hover/:focus-within and reveals the panel copy. */
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any coding assistant. The block below is pre-framed with everything the AI needs to integrate this demo into your project — markup, styles, scoping notes, and the source URL. Hit Copy and paste straight into your chat.
Here's a working CSS Image Gallerie from CodeFronts. Use it as-is or adapt to your framework. All classes are scoped under a unique prefix so the code won't collide with your existing styles. MIT licensed.
Demo: CSS Flexbox Expanding Panel Gallery
Source: https://codefronts.com/snippets/css-image-gallery/css-flexbox-expanding-panel-gallery/

A full-width split of tall vertical panels that slide open from flex:1 to flex:5 on interaction, revealing a title and blurb over the image — the immersive expanding-panels hero landing pages and case-study indexes search for.
## HTML
```html
<section class="gl-09" aria-label="Expanding panel gallery">
  <div class="gl-09__row">
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/architecture?lock=901')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Structures</h3><p>Concrete, glass and the geometry of modern cities.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/wilderness?lock=902')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Wilderness</h3><p>Remote landscapes far from the nearest road.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/portrait,people?lock=903')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Portraits</h3><p>Faces and the stories written across them.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/ocean,water?lock=904')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>Water</h3><p>Oceans, rivers and everything in between.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
    <a class="gl-09__panel" href="#" style="--img:url('https://loremflickr.com/900/1100/night,stars?lock=905')"><div class="gl-09__inner"><h3>After Dark</h3><p>Long exposures under a moving sky.</p><span class="gl-09__more">View series →</span></div></a>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
.gl-09,
.gl-09 *,
.gl-09 *::before,
.gl-09 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.gl-09 ::selection {
  background: oklch(0.7 0.15 250);
  color: #fff;
}

.gl-09 {
  --accent: oklch(0.72 0.15 250);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  padding: 0;
  background: #0c0e12;
  display: flex;
  align-items: stretch;
  justify-content: center;
}

.gl-09__row {
  display: flex;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100vh;
}

.gl-09__panel {
  position: relative;
  flex: 1 1 0;
  min-width: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-decoration: none;
  background: var(--img) center/cover no-repeat;
  filter: brightness(.62);
  transition: flex .6s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1),filter .5s;
}

.gl-09__panel::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  background: linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(8,10,16,.85),transparent 60%);
}

.gl-09__panel:hover,
.gl-09__panel:focus-within {
  flex: 5;
  filter: brightness(1);
}

.gl-09__inner {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  z-index: 2;
  padding: 32px;
  color: #fff;
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(24px);
  transition: opacity .5s .15s,transform .5s .15s;
  max-width: 520px;
}

.gl-09__panel:hover .gl-09__inner,
.gl-09__panel:focus-within .gl-09__inner {
  opacity: 1;
  transform: translateY(0);
}

.gl-09__inner h3 {
  font-size: 30px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -.01em;
}

.gl-09__inner p {
  margin-top: 8px;
  font-size: 15px;
  line-height: 1.5;
  color: rgba(255,255,255,.85);
}

.gl-09__more {
  display: inline-block;
  margin-top: 14px;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: .04em;
  color: var(--accent);
}

.gl-09__panel:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid var(--accent);
  outline-offset: -3px;
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .gl-09__inner h3 {
    font-size: 22px;
  }

  .gl-09__inner p {
    display: none;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .gl-09__panel,
    .gl-09__inner {
    transition: none;
  }
}
```

## JavaScript
```js
/* No JavaScript — flex jumps to 5 on :hover/:focus-within and reveals the panel copy. */
```

How this works

Five panels share a row at flex: 1. The interacted panel jumps to flex: 5, dominating the row while the rest compress. As a panel opens, an inner content block (heading + paragraph + link) that was clipped and faded slides up into view with a slight delay, so the copy arrives after the panel has room for it.

Each panel is an <a> (or focusable region) so :focus-within opens it for keyboard users and the revealed link is reachable inside.

Make it yours

  • Change the dominance ratio with the open panel's flex value (5 is bold, 3 is gentle).
  • Delay the inner-content reveal so text appears only once the panel is wide enough.
  • Swap vertical panels for horizontal bands by flipping flex-direction.
  • Add a persistent mini-label to each collapsed panel so users know what will open.

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • Reveal the inner copy on :focus-within, not just :hover, or keyboard users open the panel but never see the content.
  • Animating flex touches layout — keep to a handful of panels for smoothness.
  • Ensure the collapsed panels are still tall/tappable enough to trigger on touch.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
111+15.4+113+111+

Floor set by oklch() as this demo is written. The core technique itself goes back further — Chrome 29+.

Flexbox + :focus-within — supported in all current browsers.

Techniques used in this demo

:focus-withinMDN ↗filterMDN ↗oklch()MDN ↗

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