How to repeat a CSS grid layout pattern?

Question

I'm trying to make a grid layout with repeating 2 vertical, 2 horizontal sections. Then 2 horizontal, 2 verticals, and we repeat again.

Like this:

.container {
  max-width:940px;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

.grid-container {
  counter-reset: div;
  display:grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
  grid-auto-rows: 186px;
  grid-gap:20px;
  justify-content:center;
    grid-template-areas: 
    "vert1 vert2 hor1 hor1"
    "vert1 vert2 hor2 hor2"
    "hor3 hor3 vert3 vert4"
    "hor4 hor4 vert3 vert4"
}

.item-a {
    grid-area: vert1;
}
.item-b {
  grid-area: vert2;
}
.item-c {
  grid-area: hor1;
}
.item-d {
  grid-area: hor2;
}
.item-e {
  grid-area: hor3;
}
.item-f {
  grid-area: hor4;
}
.item-g {
  grid-area: vert3;
}
.item-h {
  grid-area: vert4;
}
.item-j {
  grid-area: hor2;
}
.item-k {
  grid-area: hor2;
}
.item-l {
  grid-area: hor2;
}
.item-m {
  grid-area: hor2;
}


.grid-container > div {    
box-shadow: 0 0 11px 0 #b9b9b9;
}

.grid-container > div:before {
  counter-increment: div;
  content: counter(div);
  margin: auto;
  font-size: 40px;
  display:flex;
}

<div class="container">
<div class="grid-container">
<div class="item-a"></div>
<div class="item-b"></div>
<div class="item-c"></div>
<div class="item-d"></div>
<div class="item-e"></div>
<div class="item-f"></div>
<div class="item-g"></div>
<div class="item-h"></div>
 <div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>

I can't find a way to get it on the auto(infinite) rows, only with grid-template-areas.

grid-template-areas: 
    "vert1 vert2 hor1 hor1"
    "vert1 vert2 hor2 hor2"
    "hor3 hor3 vert3 vert4"
    "hor4 hor4 vert3 vert4"

Someone got any ideas?

Answer 1

You may consider many grid container that you repeat like below:

.container {
  max-width: 940px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  counter-reset: div;
}

.grid-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
  grid-auto-rows: 100px;
  grid-gap: 20px;
  margin-bottom:20px;
}
.grid-container:nth-child(2n+1) {
  grid-template-areas: 
  "v1 v2 h1 h1" 
  "v1 v2 h2 h2"
}
.grid-container:nth-child(2n) {
  grid-template-areas: 
  "v1 v1 h1 h2 " 
  "v2 v2 h1 h2 "
}

.item-a {
  grid-area: v1;
}

.item-b {
  grid-area: v2;
}

.item-c {
  grid-area: h1;
}

.item-d {
  grid-area: h2;
}

.grid-container>div {
  box-shadow: 0 0 11px 0 #b9b9b9;
}

.grid-container>div:before {
  counter-increment: div;
  content: counter(div);
  font-size: 40px;
}

<div class="container">
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="item-a"></div>
    <div class="item-b"></div>
    <div class="item-c"></div>
    <div class="item-d"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="item-a"></div>
    <div class="item-b"></div>
    <div class="item-c"></div>
    <div class="item-d"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="item-a"></div>
    <div class="item-b"></div>
    <div class="item-c"></div>
    <div class="item-d"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="item-a"></div>
    <div class="item-b"></div>
    <div class="item-c"></div>
    <div class="item-d"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="item-a"></div>
    <div class="item-b"></div>
    <div class="item-c"></div>
    <div class="item-d"></div>
  </div>

</div>

In case you need to have only one grid you can consider the fact that you have a pattern that repeat each 8 elements and use nth-child() like below

.grid-container {
  max-width: 940px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  counter-reset: div;
  
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
  grid-auto-rows: 100px;
  grid-auto-flow: dense;
  grid-gap: 20px;
}

.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 1),
.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 2),
.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 7),
.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 8) {
  grid-row: span 2;
}

.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 3),
.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 4),
.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 5) {
  grid-column: span 2;
}

.grid-container> :nth-child(8n + 6) {
  grid-column: 1/span 2;
}


.grid-container>div {
  box-shadow: 0 0 11px 0 #b9b9b9;
}
.grid-container>div:before {
  counter-increment: div;
  content: counter(div);
  font-size: 40px;
}

<div class="grid-container">
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
  <div></div>
</div>