Antonyms for the phrase "lays in ruins" include words that suggest stability, construction, and progress. Words such as "flourishing," "thriving," "prospering," "advancing," and "developing" serve as appropriate antonyms. These words connote growth, improvement, and success of buildings, structures, institutions, and people. Instead of ruins, they indicate prosperity as well as the state of being intact and progressing. Antonyms also involve words like "rebuilding," "reconstructing," "repairing," "renovating," and "restoration." These words signify the process of fixing, healing, and bringing back life into something that was once damaged, broken, or destroyed.