Novel compositions and methods for engineering wireframe architectures and scaffolds of increasing complexity by creating gridiron-like DNA structures (FIG. 1). A series of four-arm junctions are used as vertices within a network of double-helical DNA fragments. Deliberate distortion of the junctions from their most relaxed conformations ensures that a scaffold strand can traverse through individual vertices in multiple directions. DNA gridirons, ranging from two-dimensional arrays with reconfigurability to multilayer and three-dimensional structures and curved objects, can be assembled according the methods presented herein.