A bearing assembly includes a first bearing unit and a second bearing unit for supporting a shaft, in particular a rotor shaft within a centrifugal compressor in which an axial load acts on the shaft in a first or a second axial direction, the second axial direction being opposite to the first axial direction. When the axial load acts in the first axial direction, the first bearing unit is configured to support both an axial load and a radial load and the second bearing unit is configured to support a radial load. Alternatively, when the axial load acts in the second axial direction, the first bearing unit is configured to support a radial load and the second bearing unit is configured to support both an axial load and a radial load.