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You may or may not have noticed, but the grand global football extravaganza that is the World Cup begins this Thursday (12 June) in Brazil – and the clamour to fit in with this sporting hurrah and share in a little of its thunder is now reaching a state close to frenzy.

And the latest interloper to climb onto what is already a fairly crowded bandwagon – along with all the beer makers, fast-food manufacturers and sugary drink producers – is the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the iconic sculpture which dominates London's Olympic Park.

Going for gold: The ArcelorMittal Orbit as it will appear if England win the World Cup (left), and as it usually looks

This enormous, elaborate pile of steel rises to 114.5 metres (376ft) in what is now officially known as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Famously and strikingly red, it has announced that it will swap its ruddy hue for a celebratory coat of gold if England make it to the World Cup Final on 13 July – and end up lifting the fabled trophy.

Some might say that this is a promise akin to a parent telling their child that they can go to Disney World if they come top of the class in every single one of their summer exams (including maths), then win every race at school sports day (including the 1500 metres).

After years of hype and over-expectation, levels of belief in England's football team are generally low, and many would deem it a success if Roy Hodgson's men were to emerge from a group stage where they face Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica – let alone go on to eclipse the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain to win the entire tournament.

But there is no doubt that the ArcelorMittal Orbit would look very fetching in gold – as the mock-up image above demonstrates.

A very modern artwork: The sculpture was put in place as a striking companion piece to the Olympic Stadium

The move would echo the decision to honour Britain's many champions at the 2012 Olympics, which saw post-boxes in gold medallists' home towns given the Midas touch.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit was created by artist Sir Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond, designed to be a landmark structure to stand next to the Olympic Stadium.

Like much of the rest of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the sculpture was closed off after the games as the space around the stadium was transformed for public use.

The sculpture and the park reopened at the beginning of April, offering a two-tier observation deck with views that stretch across the capital – encompassing football sites such as Wembley in the distance, and Arsenal's Emirates stadium nearer at hand.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit will further embrace the spirit of the World Cup with screenings of all England fixtures at the EastTwenty Bar & Kitchen at its base.

Tickets for the observation decks are £15 for adults, £7 for kids (arcelormittalorbit.com).