Google’s Campus Madrid start-up hub has opened today in a former battery factory in the Spanish capital.

The search engine giant renovated the brick-clad building, which was Spain’s first ever factory for electrical storage batteries when it was constructed in 1892.

Event spaces, co-working facilities and a cafe called Do Eat make up Google’s revamped 27,000 sq ft Campus.

‘We’re talking about a beautiful building with a historic past that is becoming Campus Madrid’s hub,’ says Mary Grove, director of Google for Entrepreneurs. ‘The building on Calle Mazarredo has a history of innovation itself.’

Grove is referring to its industrial past as well as to its benefactor, Isaac Peral – an engineer, naval officer and inventor of the submarine – who funded the building’s construction in the late 19th century.

Madrid has seen a burgeoning start-up scene emerge during the last five years and Google hopes to create a neighbourhood for young tech companies around the new campus in central Madrid.

‘Spain has enormous potential and entrepreneurial spirit that we want to help continue to flourish,’ says Campus Madrid director Sofía Benjumea.