Couldn't we just hollow out mountains to form very tall, deep lakes, and then pump water in and out to use as a battery? Say, a water cylinder 200m wide and 1000m tall holds approximately 43GWh of potential energy.
So they want to build a hollow structure, 1 km high, with all its weight concentrated at the very top (when charged)? How is that supposed to not immediately collapse?
it's not a hollow structure, it's space set aside in an otherwise normal commercial/residential tower. like extra banks of elevators. even if it weren't though, the weight of the building would far outweigh the weight of the blocks.