22 CSS Image Galleries08 / 22

Pure CSSMIT licensed

CSS Metro Tile Grid Gallery

A Windows-8 / Windows-Phone 'Metro' layout mixing large 2×2 hero tiles, wide 2×1 banners and small 1×1 squares into one dense, deliberately asymmetric grid. The tile-mosaic look devs search for by name.

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The code

<section class="gl-02" aria-label="Metro tile image gallery">
  <div class="gl-02__grid">
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--big" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/800/800/city,architecture?lock=201" alt="Modern city architecture" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Architecture</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/city,street?lock=212" alt="Busy city street" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Street</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/coffee?lock=203" alt="Coffee on a cafe table" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Cafe</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--wide" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/800/400/bridge?lock=204" alt="Suspension bridge at dusk" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Bridge</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/market?lock=205" alt="Open air market stalls" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Market</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/subway?lock=206" alt="Underground subway platform" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Transit</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--tall" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/800/tower?lock=207" alt="Glass tower rising overhead" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Skyline</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/park?lock=208" alt="City park in spring" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Park</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/neon?lock=209" alt="Neon signs at night" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Nightlife</span></a>
  </div>
</section>
.gl-02,
.gl-02 *,
.gl-02 *::before,
.gl-02 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.gl-02 ::selection {
  background: oklch(0.6 0.17 200);
  color: #fff;
}

.gl-02 {
  --accent: oklch(0.6 0.17 200);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  padding: 40px 20px;
  background: #101418;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

.gl-02__grid {
  width: min(760px,100%);
  display: grid;
  gap: 8px;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(4,1fr);
  grid-auto-rows: 1fr;
  grid-auto-flow: dense;
}

.gl-02__grid::before {
  content: "";
  grid-column: 1;
  grid-row: 1;
  aspect-ratio: 1/1;
  grid-area: 1/1;
}

.gl-02__tile {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-decoration: none;
  aspect-ratio: 1/1;
  background: #1a2027;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

.gl-02__tile--big {
  grid-column: span 2;
  grid-row: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile--wide {
  grid-column: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile--tall {
  grid-row: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile img {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
  transform: scale(1);
  transition: transform .5s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1);
  filter: saturate(1.02);
}

.gl-02__tile:hover img,
.gl-02__tile:focus-visible img {
  transform: scale(1.08);
}

.gl-02__cap {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  padding: 26px 14px 12px;
  color: #fff;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: .02em;
  background: linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(6,10,14,.82),transparent);
  transform: translateY(8px);
  opacity: 0;
  transition: transform .3s,opacity .3s;
}

.gl-02__tile:hover .gl-02__cap,
.gl-02__tile:focus-visible .gl-02__cap {
  transform: translateY(0);
  opacity: 1;
}

.gl-02__tile:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid var(--accent);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .gl-02__grid {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(2,1fr);
  }

  .gl-02__tile--big,
    .gl-02__tile--wide {
    grid-column: span 2;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .gl-02__tile img,
    .gl-02__cap {
    transition: none;
  }
}
/* No JavaScript — CSS Grid span + grid-auto-flow:dense build the Metro mosaic. */
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 Metro Tile Grid Gallery
Source: https://codefronts.com/snippets/css-image-gallery/css-metro-tile-grid-gallery/

A Windows-8 / Windows-Phone 'Metro' layout mixing large 2×2 hero tiles, wide 2×1 banners and small 1×1 squares into one dense, deliberately asymmetric grid. The tile-mosaic look devs search for by name.
## HTML
```html
<section class="gl-02" aria-label="Metro tile image gallery">
  <div class="gl-02__grid">
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--big" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/800/800/city,architecture?lock=201" alt="Modern city architecture" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Architecture</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/city,street?lock=212" alt="Busy city street" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Street</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/coffee?lock=203" alt="Coffee on a cafe table" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Cafe</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--wide" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/800/400/bridge?lock=204" alt="Suspension bridge at dusk" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Bridge</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/market?lock=205" alt="Open air market stalls" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Market</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/subway?lock=206" alt="Underground subway platform" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Transit</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile gl-02__tile--tall" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/800/tower?lock=207" alt="Glass tower rising overhead" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Skyline</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/park?lock=208" alt="City park in spring" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Park</span></a>
    <a class="gl-02__tile" href="#"><img src="https://loremflickr.com/400/400/neon?lock=209" alt="Neon signs at night" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><span class="gl-02__cap">Nightlife</span></a>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
.gl-02,
.gl-02 *,
.gl-02 *::before,
.gl-02 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.gl-02 ::selection {
  background: oklch(0.6 0.17 200);
  color: #fff;
}

.gl-02 {
  --accent: oklch(0.6 0.17 200);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  padding: 40px 20px;
  background: #101418;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

.gl-02__grid {
  width: min(760px,100%);
  display: grid;
  gap: 8px;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(4,1fr);
  grid-auto-rows: 1fr;
  grid-auto-flow: dense;
}

.gl-02__grid::before {
  content: "";
  grid-column: 1;
  grid-row: 1;
  aspect-ratio: 1/1;
  grid-area: 1/1;
}

.gl-02__tile {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-decoration: none;
  aspect-ratio: 1/1;
  background: #1a2027;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

.gl-02__tile--big {
  grid-column: span 2;
  grid-row: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile--wide {
  grid-column: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile--tall {
  grid-row: span 2;
  aspect-ratio: auto;
}

.gl-02__tile img {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
  transform: scale(1);
  transition: transform .5s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1);
  filter: saturate(1.02);
}

.gl-02__tile:hover img,
.gl-02__tile:focus-visible img {
  transform: scale(1.08);
}

.gl-02__cap {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  padding: 26px 14px 12px;
  color: #fff;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 600;
  letter-spacing: .02em;
  background: linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(6,10,14,.82),transparent);
  transform: translateY(8px);
  opacity: 0;
  transition: transform .3s,opacity .3s;
}

.gl-02__tile:hover .gl-02__cap,
.gl-02__tile:focus-visible .gl-02__cap {
  transform: translateY(0);
  opacity: 1;
}

.gl-02__tile:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid var(--accent);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .gl-02__grid {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(2,1fr);
  }

  .gl-02__tile--big,
    .gl-02__tile--wide {
    grid-column: span 2;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .gl-02__tile img,
    .gl-02__cap {
    transition: none;
  }
}
```

## JavaScript
```js
/* No JavaScript — CSS Grid span + grid-auto-flow:dense build the Metro mosaic. */
```

How this works

A fixed-track CSS Grid (grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr) with square grid-auto-rows) is the canvas; individual tiles claim more space with grid-column: span 2 / grid-row: span 2. grid-auto-flow: dense lets the browser backfill the gaps small tiles leave, so the mosaic stays gapless regardless of tile order.

Every tile is a real <a> with an image and a caption that slides up on hover/focus, so the whole grid is keyboard-navigable and each tile is an announced link.

Make it yours

  • Resize any tile by changing its span — span 2 / span 2 for a hero, span 2 / span 1 for a wide banner.
  • Switch grid-auto-flow between dense (backfill gaps) and row (strict source order).
  • Change the base track count (repeat(4,1fr) → 6) for a finer mosaic.
  • Recolour the caption gradient scrim per brand.

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • grid-auto-flow: dense can reorder tiles visually away from DOM order — keep it for imagery, avoid for ordered lists.
  • Set square grid-auto-rows (e.g. via aspect-ratio on the tile) so 2×2 tiles stay square, not stretched.
  • On narrow screens drop to a 2-column grid so hero tiles don't dominate the viewport.

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 57+.

CSS Grid spanning + grid-auto-flow:dense — supported in every current browser.

Techniques used in this demo

decoding="async"MDN ↗loading="lazy"MDN ↗aspect-ratioMDN ↗filterMDN ↗grid-templateMDN ↗oklch()MDN ↗

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