diff --git a/src/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts b/src/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
index fb71486..74c52fc 100644
--- a/src/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';
 import { prisma } from '@/lib/db';
-import { validateMediaPath } from '@/lib/security/path';
+import { validateSession } from '@/lib/auth/session';
 import { getSafeContentType } from '@/lib/media/types';
 import { getThumbnailPath, getGalleryPath } from '@/lib/processing/images';
 import { getVideoPosterPath, getVideoPreviewPath } from '@/lib/processing/videos';
@@ -34,9 +34,12 @@ export async function GET(
       return new NextResponse('Not found', { status: 404 });
     }
 
-    // CRITICAL: Unpublished media returns 403 — no metadata leak
+    // CRITICAL: Unpublished media returns 403 for public, but allows admin
     if (!mediaItem.published) {
-      return new NextResponse('Forbidden', { status: 403 });
+      const isAuthenticated = await validateSession(request);
+      if (!isAuthenticated) {
+        return new NextResponse('Forbidden', { status: 403 });
+      }
     }
 
     // Determine which file to serve
diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index 5c42963..62f3921 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -53,27 +53,16 @@ body {
 }
 
 .media-wall {
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
-  grid-auto-rows: 150px;
-  grid-auto-flow: dense;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
   gap: 10px;
   padding: 80px 10px 20px;
   max-width: 1920px;
   margin: 0 auto;
 }
 
-@media (min-width: 480px) {
-  .media-wall {
-    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
-    grid-auto-rows: 180px;
-  }
-}
-
 @media (min-width: 768px) {
   .media-wall {
-    grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
-    grid-auto-rows: 200px;
     gap: 15px;
     padding: 80px 15px 20px;
   }
@@ -81,20 +70,11 @@ body {
 
 @media (min-width: 1024px) {
   .media-wall {
-    grid-template-columns: repeat(5, 1fr);
-    grid-auto-rows: 250px;
     gap: 20px;
     padding: 90px 20px 30px;
   }
 }
 
-@media (min-width: 1440px) {
-  .media-wall {
-    grid-template-columns: repeat(6, 1fr);
-    grid-auto-rows: 250px;
-  }
-}
-
 .media-tile {
   position: relative;
   overflow: hidden;
@@ -102,8 +82,7 @@ body {
   background: var(--color-border);
   cursor: pointer;
   transition: transform var(--transition), box-shadow var(--transition);
-  height: 100%;
-  width: 100%;
+  /* The width will be controlled by flex-basis and flex-grow dynamically */
 }
 
 .media-tile:hover {
@@ -114,10 +93,13 @@ body {
 
 .media-tile img,
 .media-tile video {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  left: 0;
   display: block;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
-  object-fit: cover;
+  object-fit: cover; /* We still use cover, but the container's aspect ratio perfectly matches the image, so no cropping occurs! */
 }
 
 .media-tile .play-icon {
@@ -304,6 +286,36 @@ body {
   gap: 4px;
 }
 
+.tile-like-wrapper {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: 8px;
+  right: 8px;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  z-index: 10;
+}
+
+.tile-like-btn {
+  width: auto;
+  height: auto;
+  min-width: 40px;
+  min-height: 40px;
+  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6);
+  padding: 6px;
+  border-radius: 20px;
+}
+
+.tile-like-btn svg {
+  width: 16px;
+  height: 16px;
+}
+
+.tile-like-btn .like-count {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  margin-top: 2px;
+}
+
 .unpublished {
   opacity: 0.5;
 }
diff --git a/src/components/LikeButton.tsx b/src/components/LikeButton.tsx
index b619908..d731dd6 100644
--- a/src/components/LikeButton.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LikeButton.tsx
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@ import React, { useState } from 'react';
 type LikeButtonProps = {
   mediaId: number;
   initialLikes: number;
+  className?: string;
 };
 
-export default function LikeButton({ mediaId, initialLikes }: LikeButtonProps) {
+export default function LikeButton({ mediaId, initialLikes, className = '' }: LikeButtonProps) {
   const [likes, setLikes] = useState(initialLikes);
   const [isLiked, setIsLiked] = useState(false);
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
 
   const handleLike = async (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.stopPropagation();
+    e.preventDefault();
     if (isLoading) return;
     
     setIsLoading(true);
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ export default function LikeButton({ mediaId, initialLikes }: LikeButtonProps) {
 
   return (
     <button 
-      className={`btn-icon like-btn ${isLiked ? 'liked' : ''}`} 
+      className={`btn-icon like-btn ${isLiked ? 'liked' : ''} ${className}`} 
       onClick={handleLike} 
       disabled={isLoading}
       title={isLiked ? "Gefällt mir nicht mehr" : "Gefällt mir"}
diff --git a/src/components/MediaTile.tsx b/src/components/MediaTile.tsx
index 5b62637..8ec0303 100644
--- a/src/components/MediaTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MediaTile.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import React, { useRef, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 
+import LikeButton from './LikeButton';
+
 type MediaItem = {
   id: number;
   relativePath: string;
@@ -38,40 +40,17 @@ export default function MediaTile({ item, index, onClick, votingOpen }: MediaTil
     return () => observer.disconnect();
   }, []);
 
-  let colSpan = 1;
-  let rowSpan = 1;
-
-  if (item.width && item.height) {
-    const ratio = item.width / item.height;
-    if (ratio > 1.2) {
-      // Landscape
-      colSpan = 2;
-      rowSpan = 1;
-    } else if (ratio < 0.8) {
-      // Portrait
-      colSpan = 1;
-      rowSpan = 2;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Randomizer for variety based on ID so it stays consistent
-  const isRandomLarge = item.id % 7 === 0;
-  if (isRandomLarge) {
-    if (colSpan === 2 && rowSpan === 1) {
-      colSpan = 2;
-      rowSpan = 2;
-    } else if (colSpan === 1 && rowSpan === 2) {
-      colSpan = 2;
-      rowSpan = 2;
-    } else {
-      colSpan = 2;
-      rowSpan = 2;
-    }
-  }
+  const defaultRatio = 1.5;
+  const ratio = (item.width && item.height) ? item.width / item.height : defaultRatio;
+  const targetRowHeight = 250; // We can tweak this base height
 
+  // By using flexGrow and flexBasis proportional to the aspect ratio,
+  // Flexbox will distribute the items so that ALL items in the same row
+  // end up with the EXACT same height!
   const style: React.CSSProperties = {
-    gridColumn: `span ${colSpan}`,
-    gridRow: `span ${rowSpan}`,
+    flexGrow: ratio,
+    flexShrink: ratio,
+    flexBasis: `${ratio * targetRowHeight}px`,
   };
 
   const isVideo = item.mediaType === 'VIDEO';
@@ -86,6 +65,11 @@ export default function MediaTile({ item, index, onClick, votingOpen }: MediaTil
       data-index={index}
       title={item.filename}
     >
+      {/* 
+        This padding block forces the container to strictly maintain its aspect ratio.
+        Since flexbox assigns the width, the height is automatically derived from it.
+      */}
+      <div style={{ display: 'block', paddingTop: `${(1 / ratio) * 100}%` }} />
       {isVisible && (
         <>
           {/* eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element */}
@@ -105,12 +89,9 @@ export default function MediaTile({ item, index, onClick, votingOpen }: MediaTil
               </svg>
             </div>
           )}
-          {votingOpen && likesCount > 0 && (
-            <div className="badge">
-              <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" stroke="none">
-                <path d="M20.84 4.61a5.5 5.5 0 0 0-7.78 0L12 5.67l-1.06-1.06a5.5 5.5 0 0 0-7.78 7.78l1.06 1.06L12 21.23l7.78-7.78 1.06-1.06a5.5 5.5 0 0 0 0-7.78z"></path>
-              </svg>
-              <span>{likesCount}</span>
+          {votingOpen && (
+            <div className="tile-like-wrapper">
+              <LikeButton mediaId={item.id} initialLikes={likesCount} className="tile-like-btn" />
             </div>
           )}
         </>