A University of Warwick seating area has been slammed online after it had a bright pink, Barbie-esque makeover – which came with an extortionate price tag.

The Forum on campus in Coventry was repainted entirely in bubblegum pink with chairs, tables, umbrellas, plant pots, trellises and even bins to match.

The university explained its choice of colour in some FAQs on its website: 'The Forum has been painted with a striking pink colour to create a playful and creative space where ideas can flourish and self-expression can thrive.

'Pink is also known to evoke sentiments of warmth, nurturing and tranquillity, helping to craft an environment that feels welcoming and inclusive for our campus community.'

But commenters on the university's Instagram post announcing its latest campus refurbishment – a multipurpose space for students, staff, societies and visitors – were not so convinced.

One of the most-liked comments, receiving 175 heart reactions, asked: 'Didn't anyone do market research before deciding on this?'

Another user wondered who to hold responsible: 'I'd like to know who the minds behind this abomination are.'

The project was developed in collaboration with the Brighton-based creative consultancy firm Creative Giants.

The firm has contributed to the art direction of Glastonbury Festival, made installations for The Science Museum in London, worked on Playstation and Xbox video game launches and helped with Meta's advertising.

RaskI, a Newcastle-based art and architectural firm, 'successfully realised the vision through production', according to Warwick's website.

Next to the university library's café on Gibbet Hill Road, the area was described as 'a vibrant new outdoor space', 'perfect for learning, working and playing' in Warwick's Instagram post announcing it last month.

Two commenters, however, seemed to disagree, with one asking, 'Does anyone actually use this area?', and another giving a kind of answer, saying, 'Notice how nobody uses that space now'.

But what no one in the comments section seemed to know about was the price tag the institution paid for the paint job and new outdoor furniture.

The University of Warwick paid £166,439 for the refurbishments, with VAT taking the total spend to £199,726.80, according to a Freedom of Information request from The Boar.

That is equivalent to nearly 22 students' worth of tuition fees.

People on Instagram were sceptical about the makeover, with the most-liked comment (at 374 heart reactions) saying: 'Babe wake up newest campus eyesore just dropped.'

Another went archaic, asking, 'Doth mine eyes deceive me' – and someone else summed up the unenthusiastic tone of the comment section: 'And the crowd goes home.'

Others were just plain confused, asking, 'Why pink?', 'It's quite pink?', 'What have I just seen?', and, 'What the…', with another simply saying, 'No'.

The university wanted the refurbishment to be an eco-friendly project.

Warwick's website said: 'Building on the university's strategy to create a sustainable future, the Forum was developed using high impact sustainable materials that can be renewed, repurposed or recycled again.

'For example, the tactile surfaces have been created from a post-industrial recycled plastic which has a beautiful pink pigment that gives a seamless terrazzo quality.'

It also encourages spontaneous performance in the new Barbie-fied area: 'The Forum is a free-to-use civic space with seating and a stage area for impromptu talks, performances (such as spoken word, acoustic music and theatre), intellectual debates, reading groups and general convening.'

Some Instagram users were not a fan, saying, 'Our campus has been lost to liberals', and, 'Utter woke nonsense'.

Another pointed out the makeover might not last long: 'It's going to be quite black soon with all that cigarette ash.'

And after car maker Jaguar faced controversy in December over its new Miami Pink car, with its Barbie-like colour dubbed 'appallingly bad' online, one user took to Instagram with a crying emoji, saying: 'Inspired by Jaguar.'

A smattering of positive commenters wished they could have spent their university days in the Forum. 

These users said, 'I graduated a decade and a half too early', 'They make Warwick Barbieland the second I leave', and, 'Looks like we left Warwick two years too soon'.

But the tone of the comments section was mostly summed up by one user, who said: 'Annoying to my eyes.'

A University of Warwick spokesperson said: 'The Forum is an open and multi-use outdoor space that can be used by members of the Warwick community and visitors.

'Developed using high impact sustainable materials that can be renewed, repurposed or recycled it forms part of wider placemaking plans. 

'These plans aim to enhance wellbeing, encourage connections and the exchange of ideas, as well as increase the use of our 720-acre campus and create inclusive welcoming experiences for all.'