The influence of temperature gradient on the lamellar structure of isotactic polypropylene spherulites was studied. Polypropylene films were crystallized in a constant temperature gradient of 35 K/mm with the free surface and studied by means of atomic force microscopy and scaning electron microscopy. Samples crystallized isothermally were also prepared and examined for comparison. The results show that the temperature gradient influenced only the alignment of lamellae within spherulites. The lamellae deviated from a radial direction in a stepwise manner. The lamellae became less and less inclined and finally assumed a direction parallel to the temperature gradient. The change of the lamellae alignment in spherulites was the result of the competition of lamellae to fill the space during growth in the temperature gradient.